The Lost World: Jurassic Kratts
by Stegosaurus1412
Summary: Four years have passed since the disaster of Jurassic Park, and the Wild Kratts team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: to assist a research team in studying the prehistoric inhabitants of an island lost in time. But another team has arrived with a completely different agenda..
1. Prologue

The equatorial sun radiated over the white beach that spread along the sea in a stunning ivory crescent. The choruses of the seagulls mingled with the constant drums of the thundering waves crashing against the rocky cliffs. Beyond the shore lay great expanses of tropical, untamed forest. Apart from the seagoing birds and the occasional hermit crab scavenging along the shore, the beach seemed to be utterly devoid of animal life.

Just offshore, a white luxury yacht lay anchored in the tropical lagoon, its occupants settled on the coast. A picnic table was carefully being prepared out by two ship hands, dressed in white uniforms, as they laid out luncheon service– fine china, silver, crystal decanters with red and white wine. Paul Bowman, a middle aged man sat off to the side in a heavily padded wooden chase lounge, his head buried in the monochromatic maze of his newspaper while his wife, a painfully thin woman who's had her eyes done more than once, supervised the settings of the table. "That looks wonderful. Beautiful day."

She looks up and sees a little girl, seven or eight years old, wandering off along the beach, a roast beef sandwich in hand.

"Sweetie, where are you going?"she asked.

"Eating my sandwich."the girl answered, hardly looking up.

"You'll ruin your appetite, darling. We're

having prawns, your favorite."

"I don't like prawns!"

"Now darling, don't wander off!"

Mr. Bowman looked up from his newspaper with a grim face, disturbed. Lowering his fluke of wine, he peered over at his wife and smirked. "For God's sake, leave her alone, Deidre."he said before returning his attention to the newspaper which had the headlines: _**Famous Zoologists Adopt Living Breathing Dinosaur.**_ Mrs. Bowman, however, wasn't swayed; following close to her daughter, she insisted: "Sweetheart, we'll play with your ball–"

"Mother, don't be so annoying!"snapped the girl before resuming her stroll along the beach, leaving her mother behind. Dumbfounded, Mrs. Bowman turned around and walked over to her husband, still is sitting in the wooden lounge. A huge ocean wave crashed into a rock far behind them, sending a huge bulge of billowing white water shooting into the air. The yacht crew continued to work around the Bowmans.

"Darling, what about snakes?"questioned the woman in maternal worry.

"There aren't any snakes on the beach."retorted the man almost nonchalantly. "Just let her enjoy herself for once." Mrs. Bowman considered the idea, and began to walk away. She walked over to the small table with the bottle holder and empty fluke setting on top.

Meanwhile the little girl skipped along the other end of the beach, humming to herself. Sandwich in hand, she bent down to pick up a colorful shell on the sand before losing interest. A rustling sound soon drew her attention toward the edge of the forest where the thick jungle foliage gave way to white sand. A large bush, perhaps twelve feet high, moved, its branches swaying and shaking as its occupant slowly made its way through the undergrowth. Curiously, the girl approached the bush which abruptly ceased its movement. A long pause.. before a small, lizardlike animal, dark green with brown stripes along its back, stepped out from among the brush. Only about a foot tall, it stood on its hind legs, balancing on its thick tail. Walking upright, the creature slowly approached her, all the while bobbing its head for all the world like a scaly chicken.

"Well, hello there!"said the girl, crouching down to the creature's level. The reptile simply stood there, tilting its head as curiously as the human before it. "What are you? Some sort of bird or something?" It simply chirped in response.

"Are you hungry? Here, take a bite." She tore off a piece of her sandwich and offered it to the tiny reptile, who peered at the food and chirped. "It's roast beef. It's good."

She held the offering to the animal, encouraging it to come closer. "Come on, I won't hurt you." The animal sniffed the food warily before snatching the morsel, swallowing it down. Enchanted, the girl broke into an enormous grin as she turned her head back toward the direction of the beach. "Mummy! Daddy! You've got to come see this! I found something!"

She turned her attention back to the strange green reptile where, to her shock and surprise, twenty or thirty more of its kind scampered out of the underbrush, standing there bobbing their heads anxiously, not unlike a flock of pigeons in the park. The girl's smile fades as they formed a semicircle around her, chirping and warbling. There was no mistaking that they were hungry.

"Are you looking at this? I'm afraid there isn't enough to go around." One of them leaped up at her, trying to take the sandwich from her hand, earning a shriek from the human, who threw the sandwich to the ground. Almost immediately a few of the reptiles began to devour it, but more still surrounded the girl before lunging at this strange provider of food. But just as they were closing in, a loud, primal shrieking was heard from among the trees, causing the girl and her assailants to freeze in fright. The green mob around her soon began to scatter in all directions like terrified rats as something began to crash through the undergrowth, slowly making its way toward her, uttering deep growls that sent shivers down the girl's spine. The foliage parted to reveal a most formidable animal.

The mysterious beast stood within the shadows, staring at the child with piercing red eyes. From her place in the sunlight, the girl could only see the creature's silhouette, but what she saw sent her heart racing. Almost six feet tall, it stood on its hind legs, not unlike the reptiles from just moments ago. Like them, it also had an S shaped neck and stood perfectly balanced on a long tail. But the hands and feet of this creature bristled with razor-sharp claws of black steel. There was also something about it that was not alive; it didn't blink, it didn't even breathe. It felt almost cold, calculating, almost mechanical in a way.

Then, without warning, the beast pounced.

Back at the beach, Mr. Bowman threw his newspaper down and listened. His wife and the crew ceased their activities to listen as well. Above the crashing waves and the harsh din of the seagulls came the terrified screams of their daughter.

Bowman hurled himself out of the chase lounge and ran out in front of Mrs. Bowman and the crew to investigate the commotion.

"Cathy!"

Without another moment to waste, both parents began running for their daughter, running as they had never ran before, the crew hurrying fast in front of them. They come to the other side of the beach, following Cathy's screams.

"Hurry! Hurry up!"shouted Mrs. Bowman, urging the men. The crew ran into the woods in the direction the screams came. Deidre Bowman stopped dead in her tracks, eyes widened in horror. She gasped for breath as she peered into the the foliage. What the woman saw was every mother's worst nightmare. She screamed.

 ** _**** Two Days Later...****_**

"The hurricane seemed like a disaster at the time, but now I think it was a blessing, nature's way of freeing those animals from their human confines. Of giving them another chance to survive, but this time as they were meant to, without man's interference."

Twenty or more executives sat as still as stone around a conference table, heeding an old, gruff voice resounding throughout the boardroom of a monied corporation. All were wearing expensive suits, most were over sixty. There were rows of backbenchers too, whispering to their lawyers who sat behind their clients, whispering in their ears. Empty coffee cups and fast food containers on the table hint that everyone's been here a long time. The speaker was none other than John Hammond, the founder of InGen and the creator of Jurassic Park. But he wasn't present in the room; his image was on a closed circuit TV screen which was wheeled up at the end of the table. And he was in poor health; terribly informed, propping up on his bed, face pale and drawn, medical equipment beeping around him.

But that didn't in the least stop him as he continued: "There are some corporate issues that are not about the bottom line. We have so much still to learn about those creatures. A whole world of intricate, interlocking behaviors, vanished everywhere– except for Site B. Please. Let's not do what is good for more men at the expense at what is best for all mankind."

The chairman, a man in his seventies, nodded awkwardly to the television. "Thank you, John."he said after a moment's pause before turning his attention to a man in his late thirties. "Mr. Ludlow?"

Peter Ludlow said not a word as he rose to his feet while flipping open a file. He then pulled out a stack of black and white eight by tens, and tossed them on the table. And then he spoke.

"These pictures were taken in a hospital in Costa Rica forty-eight hours ago, after a British family on a yacht cruise stumbled onto Site B. The little girl will be fine, but her parents are wealthy, angry, and very fond of lawsuits. But that's hardly new to us, is it?" He took another paper from the file as he went on. "Wrongful death settlements, partial list: family of Donald Gennaro, 36.5 million dollars; family of John Arnold, 23 million; family of Robert Muldoon, 12.6 million. Damaged or destroyed equipment, 17.3 million. The list goes on, gentlemen– research, funding, media payoffs. Silence is expensive. This madness must stop.

"Now, this corporation has been bleeding from the throat for four years. You, our board of directors, have sat patiently and listened to ecology lectures while Mr. Hammond signed your checks and spent your money. You have watched your stock drop from seventy-eight and a quarter to nineteen flat with no good end in sight. And all along, we have held significant product asset, that we attempted to hide at great expense until recently, when we could have safely harvested and displayed for profit. _Enormous_ profit."

He reached out to a model on the table and gave it a shove, sending it sliding down the length of the table in front of his audience. It was a mini-mall version of a zoo. Cages held tiny replicas of various kinds of dinosaurs while boy scout troops and tourists looked on in wonder.

"Enough money to wipe out four years of lawsuits and damage control and unpleasant infighting, enough to not only send our stock back to where it was but to double it. And the one thing, the only thing standing between us and this asset is a born-again naturalist who happens to be our own CEO."–here he paused, adjusting his glasses before continuing with a chuckle–"Believe me, I don't enjoy having to say these things about my own uncle. But, I don't work for Mother Nature. I work for you."

Two of his backbenchers distributed documents from a stack. Ludlow took one and read from it aloud: "'Whereas the Chief Executive Officer has engaged in wasteful and negligent business practices to further his own personal environmental beliefs, under the influence of a band of nature-loving vigilantes– Whereas these practices have affected the financial performance of the company by incurring significant losses— Whereas the shareholders have been materially harmed by these losses. Thereby, be it resolved that John Parker Hammond should be resolved from the office of Chief Executive Officer, affective immediately. And be it also resolved to withdraw all support from the Wild Kratts Foundation, as our dealings with them have only further led this company to its current state.' Mr. Nicholas, I move the resolution be put to an immediate vote. Do I have a second?"

"I second the motion, Mr. Nicholas."said another board member. "Please poll the members by a show of hands."

The chairman sighed heavily, feeling like a traitor. He couldn't bear to look at Hammond on the TV monitor.

"All those in favor of InGen Corporate Resolution 213C, please signify your approval by raising your right hand."

It started slowly, guiltily, but soon every hand in the room went up. Ludlow sits back, victorious. Hammond, furious and defeated, raised his right hand, which held a remote control, and pointed it at the TV screen. It went blank.

 ** _**** Later that evening...****_**

Ludlow sat in silence from his place in his personal limousine, raindrops drumming loudly on the roof and the windows. The skies were shrouded by dark storm clouds as rain poured heavily upon New York City. The monotonous sounds of the rolling thunder joined the hustle and bustle of people who walked along the ever busy streets, their umbrellas and raincoats shielding them from the ice cold torrents as they went about their evening. Many also were those who took shelter in whatever nook or cranny they could find to wait out the storm. Before long, the driver of the limo pulled in before its destination: a towering black skyscraper with a red V for a logo, among the tallest in the city. Flashes of lightning danced around in the surrounding clouds, giving the place a more foreboding atmosphere.

Ludlow had hardly taken three steps out of the vehicle when a blackish gray robot hovered before the stunned man. The robot resembled an oversized screw, wider around at the top where two red, unblinking eyes were situated on a domed head. Apart from a pair of hose-like arms on each side, it didn't appear to have any limbs. One of its pincer-like hands retracted back into its respective limb as it was replaced by a black umbrella, shielding Ludlow from the torrential downpour.

"Umm thank you."he said once he found the voice to speak. The only answer he received was a robotic voice that replied: " _We've been expecting you_."

No more was said as the mechanical doorman, gestured with its free hand, escorting Peter Ludlow into the building.

 ** _**** A Few Minutes Later...****_**

Ludlow followed his mechanical escort into a wide, dimly lighted dining hall painted black. Various pictures of jets, yachts and robots hung upon the walls. A velvet table sat in the center of the wide expanse of space, ringed by several bright red V shaped chairs. Torrents of rain water bombard the large, crystal clear window that, without the supports, looked for all the world like a giant mirror. Even the gray tiled floor he walked on had a shine of its own. It was clear that the owner of this place liked to keep his quarters in upmost cleanliness.

"You're just in time for our secret meeting."said a high, nasally voice from his place seated on one of the chairs at the end of the table, where two more robots hovered nearby. The chair spun, revealing a scrawny man who looked paler than even Death itself, all clad in black from head to toe. It was none other than robotics inventor Zach Varmitech, CEO of Varmitech Industries.

Once Ludlow seated himself on a chair across from Zach, the two discussed the events that had occurred as of late, and it wasn't long before the robotics inventor broached the subject of the InGen meeting earlier that afternoon. "So, I take it that the meeting at the boardroom went well?"he inquired.

"Absolutely."replied Ludlow, adjusting his glasses, a small smile on his features. "Hammond has been removed from the office of InGen CEO. And I guess I have _you_ to thank for that."

With a flick of his master controller, the inventor revealed a holographic screen where a saurianlike machine was displayed. "See? I told you my Robo-raptors would work. Now they'll blame the animals for the attack on that little brat."

"Definitely would have fooled me."

Suddenly the deathly silence of the building was broken by the ringing of a doorbell. "Must be my associates. I mean, our associates."said Zach.

Before long, one of the red sliding doors opened, and at the doorway stood three other people escorted by a Zachbot; a woman whose taste in fashion was rather questionable at best, a tall muscular man who appeared to be her henchman, and a burly chef.

"About time you all showed up!"snapped the robotics inventor rather rudely as the trio made their way into the dining room.

"If it weren't for this intolerable weather, my jet would've arrived at the speed of style, darling."replied the woman dismissively with a wave of her hand. She had maroon hair and golden eyes that rested on a face covered in makeup. Lots of makeup. She wore a reddish-pink shirt adorned with dots with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, while long, blue-green earrings hung upon her ears. Her umber brown pants were worn up to waist level. "And who's your friend?"

"Peter Ludlow, InGen's Chief Executive Officer."came the courteous reply as said CEO offered his hand.

"Ah yes. Donita Donata. Pleased to meet you, darling."

"The pleasure is all mine, madam."greeted the newly appointed head of InGen with a slight bow. He was then approached by the tall, muscular man who was adorned with a turquoise t-shirt and white pants.

Ludlow offered his hand to the blonde giant who stared blankly at it for half a minute before taking it in a crushing handshake.

"Hi! I'm Dabio!"he greeted with a beaming smile.

As he gingerly cradled his bruised hand, Ludlow immediately guessed that Dabio wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Lastly came the chef. Dressed in a white jacket and black pants, he was rather well built with a huge upper body and big hairy arms. His eyes were grayish green, and above those were thick, bushy eyebrows. A small English mustache rested above his lips while a white, drooping chef's hat adorned his shaved head. But the one feature of his that stood out most was his abnormally large and bulbous nose. "Gaston Gourmand, endangered species chef, at your service."he greeted, and Ludlow noticed he had a strong southern accent.

Once everyone was seated, Zach once again withdrew his master controller from his pocket before pointing it at the ceiling where a wide projection screen slowly descended in full view of his audience. Taking a laser pen in hand, the evil inventor then cleared his throat before he spoke, saying: "This year, once and for all, we gotta get rid of the Wild Rats."

"Uhh aren't they called 'Wild _Kratts_ '?"corrected the illegal chef.

"Who's side are you on? I am so sick of them helping the animals. It always ruins my inventions!"growled the inventor.

"And my meals! That gorilla casserole would've been a culinary delight!"added Gourmand, banging his huge fist on the table.

"I did not particularly care for the time they let the Dracos fly from my jewelry either."murmured Donita, her head resting on her hand.

"Uhh don't those lizards glide, not fly?"corrected her henchman. She simply rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh whatever Dabio."

"They– they're so annoying!"shouted the evil inventor.

"So's your whining!"snarked the fashionista.

"I'm not a whiner!"countered Zach.

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"Am not!"

As the inventor and fashionista continued their arguments, now practically in each other's faces, the illegal chef facepalmed with an irritated groan while InGen's new CEO sat patiently, twiddling his fingers as he waited for the fire to quell. Several more minutes passed. No such hope.

"You're lying!"

" _No I'm not!_ "

It was the last straw for the chef as he stomped his way towards Donita and Zach. "Keep it down!"shouted Gourmand pushing himself between the bickering pair. "Now don't let your pots boil over! Remember the reason why we're all here." At this point he gestured to their guest who continued to sit patiently before clearing his throat, seeing all eyes in his direction.

"Ah yes. It is quite clear that we all have a common opposition."declared the new CEO of InGen. To this all present nodded in mutual agreement. "They've been a major thorn on each of our sides for years. But rest assured, with this partnership, we will soon be turning the tables on those nature-loving vigilantes. But first, let's get down to business; InGen has been on the verge of Chapter 11 for four years when all along, we had significant biological assets that could have successfully been displayed, which would have bailed us out."

"Significant bio say what?"asked Gourmand, scratching his shaved scalp.

"Simply put my friend: dinosaurs. Living breathing, genetically engineered dinosaurs."

The endangered species chef nearly choked on his bite of t-bone steak upon hearing this. "D-dinosaurs?"

"Dinosaurs? I don't believe you."said Donita skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh no, it's quite true madam, all courtesy of our top of the line geneticists. Mr. Varmitech can tell you more." Ludlow then handed out a document for the fashionista to look over. "But,"– momentary pause– "during all this time, we have been prevented from taking any such action by our very own CEO, out of his own environmental beliefs, along with the Wild Kratts team who have undoubtedly been a major influence." All three villains glared upon the mention of their shared enemy. "But that ends today."

"We are not gonna continue to let them get away with this."said Zach with as much determination as he could muster.

"How many times have they foiled our plans?"added Gourmand.

"All because they want to 'save the animals',"remarked Donita, making quotations with her fingers.

At this, the trio broke into laughter at the ridiculousness of the notion.

"If it means getting those Wild Croutons off our backs once and for all, then count me in!"

"Now what did InGen have in mind for these dinosaurs?"asked the fashionista once she had read over the documents, her initial doubts gone.

"What we have intended to do from the very beginning: to open up a biological theme park where–"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up."interrupted Zach, to which his mechanical minions all took several paces backwards. "Not _you!_ Listen, Pete– can I call you Pete? Are you really just gonna use the animals to stock up a petting zoo? If you don't mind, we have a few suggestions. For starters, you could definitely use them for animal lab tests." Upon seeing his new associate raise an eyebrow, the evil inventor cleared his throat before he began, all the while pacing around in a circle.

"Let's face it, Pete; every year, around the world, there's more pressure not to use animals for testing and research. More demonstrations, more break-ins, more bad press, that sorta thing. First it was simple-minded zealots and Hollywood celebrities. But now it's a bandwagon; even university philosophers are beginning to argue that it's unethical for more monkeys, dogs, and even rats to be subjected to the "indignities" of laboratory research. Heck, there's even been some protests about the 'exploitation' of squid, even though they're on dinner tables all over the world. Eventually, somebody's gonna say we can't even use bacteria to make genetic products."

"Oh cher.."muttered Donita in disbelief.

"Just wait. It'll happen. And we'll be shut down. Unless, if we have genuinely created animals. Think about it, an animal that's extinct, and is brought back to life, is for all practical purposes not an animal at all. It can't have any rights. It's already dead for Pete's sake,"–here he was met by Ludlow's blank stare– "Hehe Sorry. So if it exists, it can only be something you guys made. You made it. You patent it. You own it. And it's the perfect test guinea pig. I think I read somewhere that the enzyme and hormone systems of dinosaurs are identical to mammalian systems. In the future, drugs can be tested on small dinosaurs just as successfully as they're now tested on dogs and rats– with much less risk of legal challenge. Besides, they're basically big lizards. And nobody loves a lizard. They're not like those disgustingly cute doggies that lick your hand and break your heart. Lizards got no personality. They're just snakes with legs."

Once Zach had finished, it was the chef's turn. "Because at the moment, everything, and I mean everything, to do with living animals is tied up in legal and moral knots. For example, big game hunters can't shoot a lion or an elephant– the same critters their pappies and grandpappies used to shoot, and then pose proudly for a photo. Now you got forms, licenses, expenses–and plenty of guilt to go around."added Gourmand who's favorite pastime involved hunting. "These days, you don't dare shoot a tiger and admit it afterward. These days, it's a worse crime to shoot a tiger than to shoot your own folks. Tigers have advocates. But now imagine my friend: a specially stocked hunting preserve, perhaps somewhere in Asia, where individuals of wealth and importance could hunt T-rexes and Triceratops in a natural setting. Now I know a guy in Kenya who would gladly accept such a challenge. It would be an incredibly desirable attraction. How many hunters have a stuffed elk head on their wall? Or a bearskin rug? The world's full of em. But how many can claim to have a snarlin Tyrannosaurus rex head, hanging above the wet bar?"

"See, the point is this, Pete: these animals are totally exploitable. We can do anything we want with them. Anything." said Zach with one arm over the businessman's shoulder as he gestured to all the possibilities with the other.

As Ludlow mulled over all he has been told, Gourmand then jumped onto the table in full view of his colleagues, saying: "Well then, how about we use the animals in one of our own endeavors? Like make delicious, never before tasted entrees? Like say, a dinosaur egg omelette!"

"No, darling."said Donita, feather pen and paper in hand. "I can't see how these big, ugly lizards have any future in the fashion department, but the assortment of small, feathered, and beautifully colored specimens will shine as top of the line prehistoric fashion accessories. And barrettes! La la la la la-lovely!"

"Oooh! They're so fluffy!"exclaimed Dabio who glanced through the various photographs of the prehistoric feathered variety.

"And umm... I will invent–" here the inventor paused, seeing the expectant looks of his peers. "Umm.. ummm.. I don't know! I'll use those dinosaurs in a robot or something. What's with the peer pressure?"

"Right. Very well. Provided that the expedition to Site B proves successful, you'll get your fair share in the assets, just as long as Varmitech Industries provides the funds needed for–"

"Oho, we'll do you one better."interrupted the robotics inventor. "I'll send over twenty Zachbots to help in your little expedition." Upon that, more than a dozen or so machines assembled behind their maker, red eyes blinking.

"And since no expedition is complete without a chef, _I'll_ be more than happy to be of service. But umm.. those Wild Croutons aren't gonna be a problem now, are they?"asked the chef.

"Absolutely not, my culinary friend."reassured the new CEO with a wave of his hand. "InGen has withdrawn its financial support from them. And even though they're on Mr. Hammond's side, they won't have the funds to interfere."

The villainous trio exchanged glances before Zach asked: "So when do we begin?"

After all was said and done, the plans were arranged and a new alliance was formed.

"My dear friends, this looks like the start of a beautiful partnership."declared InGen's new head honcho as he sipped a cup of coffee while his newfound acquaintances all laughed evilly, a sudden crack of lightning flashing from outside the vast windows.

 ** _**** SURPRISE! Hey everyone, Stegz here. The highly anticipated sequel is here, and earlier than planned. Originally I was gonna start writing this after Of Raptors And Kratts, but part of me wanted to start this story while it's fresh. Not to mention that the new episodes of WK have arrived, so I figured that now's the time. But don't get me wrong, I'll still continue writing ORAK. We see that there things aren't really looking up for InGen. To make matters worse, Ludlow has formed an alliance with the Wild Kratts' enemies against Hammond's wishes. And don't worry, we'll see the Wild Kratts team next in Chapter 2, which is coming up soon so stay tuned!_**

 ** _Oh, by the way, if it's not already obvious, I own neither Jurassic Park nor Wild Kratts..._**


	2. New Frontier

Classical piano music echoed throughout the mansion's halls as a tuxedo clad butler went to answer the front door. Before the open door stood a man dressed in black from head to toe.

"Whom shall I tell Mr. Hammond is calling?"he asked, standing fully up right as straight as an arrow.

"Umm Ian Malcolm. I've been summoned."responded the stranger. Without another word, the butler motioned for Malcolm to come inside before walking off into another part of the mansion. As the mathematician made his way through the vast halls, slowly ascending a set of stairs, his attention was drawn by the sound of a closing door from above him, followed by– "Dr. Malcolm!"

The man in black glanced in the direction the voice came by another series of stairs where two teenagers raced down to greet him. A wide smile formed on the scientist's face upon recognizing them as none other than Lex and Tim Murphy. "Oh my God!"

"Hello, Dr. Malcolm! It's so great to see you!"exclaimed Lex, adorned in a black dress, now blossomed into a beautiful young woman, her golden blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. Her brother, wearing a light blue long sleeve shirt and khaki pants, had also grown considerably; he was much taller than he was all those years ago and his brown hair was no longer as curly as it once was. The two teenagers had instantaneously wrapped their arms around the man in black.

Malcolm happily returned the embrace. "Kids! Kids! It's so great to see you! It's so great– look at you!"

"You came to see grandpa?"asked Tim, which led Dr. Malcolm to notice that his voice had also deepened.

"Yeah, Yeah, he called me. Do you know what this is about?" The two siblings shook their heads. "I don't either... This joint's kind of creepy. Isn't it?"–here Malcolm looked around the mansion. Not a chuckle was heard. "Is everything ok?"

"Well, not exactly."replied Lex, acknowledging the elephant in the room. Before the mathematician could ask further, a group of people wearing suits came walking down the stairs. One of which is Peter Ludlow who took notice of the scientist's presence.

"Well, Dr. Malcolm... Dr. Malcolm."he began rather coldly. "Here to share a few campfire stories with my uncle?"

"Do me a favor, Ludlow. Don't pretend for a second that you and I don't know the truth."replied Malcolm rather angrily. "You can convince the Washington Post and the Skeptical Enquirer of anything you want, but I was there; I know what happened– and so do you."countered the mathematician.

"Do you believe that everyone who chose discretion did so for some nefarious motives?"Ludlow replied. "Even Lex and Tim?"

"Leave them out of it. It's not a game."

"No it isn't. You're lucky we didn't sue you. You signed a nondisclosure agreement before you went to the island that expressly forbade you from discussing anything you saw. You violated that agreement."

"Yeah I did, and you lied. You twisted the facts surrounding the deaths of three people. You stuffed misinformation down the public's throat, which made me look like a nut. Hasn't been so good for my livelihood–"

Ludlow interrupted, stating: "We made a generous compensatory offer for your

injuries."

"That was a payoff and an insult! And when you spin reality, when you try to cover up evidence, it hurts. It ruins more than my reputation. It hurts–"

"If your university felt you were causing it embarrassment by selling wild stories to Hard Copy, I hardly see how I am to–"

"I didn't sell anything. I never took a cent. And I told the truth!"

"Your version of it..."

"There aren't any versions of the truth. And I'll tell you something, InGen can't keep spewing out–"

"InGen is my responsibility now, Doctor, and I will jealously defend it's interests."

"Your responsibility? What about Mr. Hammond?"

"It is our board of directors which I must look in the eye, not my uncle. You must trust me, these problems you have are about to be rendered moot. In a few weeks time, they'll be long forgotten." With that, the new CEO took his leave, but not before feeling an iron grip on his arm as Malcolm murmured: "Not by me..."

"Careful... This suit cost more than your education." With that, he continued in his way. It didn't take long before Malcolm too, remembered the reason he was here.

 ** _***Several Minutes Later...***_**

Malcolm soon entered a darkened bedroom, sunlight scarcely filtering its way through the window blinds, as John Hammond lay in his bed. Medical equipment had been disguised as well as possible among the furniture and flowers nearby, but the sheer abundance of it told the mathematician that whatever had stricken the old man was going to win this battle. A smile crawled upon his face upon noticing his visitor.

"Ian! Don't linger in the doorway like an ingenue, come in, come in!" Malcolm stepped further into the room.

"It's good to see you, it really is. When you have a lot of time to think, it's funny who you remember. It's the people who challenged you. It's the quality of our opponents that gives our accomplishments meaning. I never told you how sorry I was about what happened after we returned."

At first, the scientist didn't know how to begin. "I didn't know you–weren't well."

"It's the lawyers. The lawyers are finally killing me."replied the old man with a chuckle.

"They do have motive."retorted the mathematician before cutting straight to the chase, "Now, why did you want to see me? Your message said it was urgent."

"You were right, and I was wrong. There! Did you ever expect to hear me say such a thing?" If Malcolm was surprised, he didn't show it as the once proud entrepreneur went on: "Spectacularly wrong. Instead of observing those animals, I tried to control them. I squandered an opportunity and we'll still know next to nothing about their lives. Not their lives as man would have them, behind electric fences, but in the wild. Living free. Behavior in their natural habitat, the impossible dream of any paleontologist or zoologist. I could have had it, but I let it slip away." Long pause. "Thank God for Site B."

"Site B?"

Hammond continued with a glint in his eye. "Well? Didn't it all seem a trifle compact to you? The hatchery, in particular?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know my initial yields had to be low, far less than one percent; that's a thousand embryos for every single live birth. Genetic engineering on that scale implies a giant operation, not that spotless little laboratory I showed you.

"Isla Nublar was just a showroom, something for the tourists, Site B was the factory floor. It was on Isla Sorna, some eighty miles from Nublar. We bred the animals there, nurtured them for a few months, then moved them to the park. Now, after the accident at the park, Hurricane Clarissa wiped out our facilities on Site B. Call it an act of God. We had to evacuate of course, and the animals were released to mature on their own in the wild.

"Life will find a way, as you once so eloquently put it. And by now, we have a complete ecological system on the island with _dozens_ of species living in their own social groups. Without fences, without constraining technology, and for _four years_ now, I've fought to keep them safe from human interference."

To say that Malcolm was shocked would be a grave understatement. "Then it's the first thing you've done right."he murmured sarcastically before saying rather urgently: "That island has to be quarantined and contained, _immediately!_ Even the airspace over it needs to be restricted! Get the Department of Biological Preserves to seal off the island. These two species were never meant to share the earth. I am living proof that man cannot compete in their world, and they would never make it in ours. Civilization would kill them–" here he paused, a sudden thought occurring to his mind. "If they're not dead already. You bred them lysine-deficient, didn't you? Shouldn't they have kicked the bucket after seven days without supplemental enzymes?"

Hammond, however, was ecstatic as he answered, "Yes! But by God, they're flourishing, aren't they?! I don't know how, it's only one of a thousand questions I want the team to answer."

"Team?"asked the scientist incredulously.

"Yes. I've been putting this together for over a year. But now something's come up that's made it imperative for the expedition to happen now. If we hesitate, all will be lost."

"'Expedition?' Oh, please, please don't tell me you were foolhardy enough to–"

"I've organized a group to go in and document them, to make the most spectacular living fossil record the world has ever seen."

"I cannot believe my ears. Did you breed carnivores on this island?"

"Our satellite infrareds show that most of the animals are fiercely territorial; they demarcate and defend specific areas and stay within them. The carnivores are isolated in the interior of the island, so the team will stay on the outer rim."

But this did little to assure Malcolm. "And just how many lunatics are on this team?"

Hammond picked up a thick file folder from the nightstand next to him and opened it on his lap. Inside, there were memos, charts, maps, and photographs. "Ten."came the answer.

"Ten? You might as well be going in there with the National Guard!"

"Exactly wrong! Ask any animal behaviorist, the best results come from the lowest impact, the animals shouldn't even know you're there. One observes and documents, but does not interact. Attempting to control the environment is where I went wrong the first time, you told me so yourself. I'm not making the same mistakes again."

"No, no, you're making all new ones!"argued the man in black, hand on his forehead. "My God, if you want to protect those animals, do the ground work, get legislation passed! If you want to observe them, you do it safely, by satellite, drone or helicopter, but you don't just barge in there with a camcorder! Who are these people? What are their names?"

"Well, it was difficult to convince some of them of what they were going to see. And in the end I had to use my checkbook to get them there. But, there's Nick Van Owen, who's a video documentarian; Eddie Carr, a field equipment specialist; Laura Wilkinson, a wildlife ranger from Kenya; we also have a paleontologist, our own zoological team, and I was hoping that perhaps, you might be the fourth."

A long pause. The mathematician simply cast the old man a deadpan look that said: you're out of your mind. "You don't even listen when I speak, do you?"

"Public opinion is the only thing that can preserve Site B now. You have always been my harshest critic. If you come out as an advocate with me, it'll mean everything. I know how obsessive you can be once you truly embrace an idea. We can come forward, together, with ironclad proof of their existence."

"You must already have proof. DNA splicing, the cloning, the births, that domesticated rapto–"

"Only in captivity!"thundered the entrepreneur. "I need to show them in their natural habitat to stir up emotional support for keeping that island pristine. This is my last chance to contribute something of real value. I can't walk so far to have left no footprints. I will not be known only for my failures, and you are too smart and too proud to let yourself go down in history as a hoaxster. Please. This is a chance at redemption for both of us."

For what seemed an eternity, silence reigned in the dark room before Malcolm finally answered: "That's selfish and grandiose. No, John, I won't go. Absolutely not. And I'm going to contact every member of your team and stop them from going." He picked up the file from the bed and starts flipping through it. "You didn't mention the name of the paleontologist. Who did you get?"

Hammond only looked away in guilt until he finally replied, "She came to me. I just want you to know that."

"Who did?"

"Leave it to you, Ian, to have associations, affiliations, even liaisons with the best people in so many fields,"

Malcolm's eyes widened in realization. "You didn't bring Sarah into this, did you?! Forget it! Get someone else!"

"There is no one else! Paleontological behavior study is a brand new field, and Sarah Harding is on the frontier."

"No!"

"Her theories on parenting and nurturing among carnivores have framed the debate for the last five years, who else could hav–what are you doing?"

Rushing to Hammond's desk, the mathematician searched frantically through piles of paper and dossiers. "Where's your phone?"he asked ere finding what he was looking for. But he had barely dialed the first three digits when– "It's too late; she's already there. The others are meeting her in three days." When Malcolm turned to face the ailing old man again, he had a terrified look carved on his features.

"You sent my girlfriend to this island alone?"he asked in a pained whisper.

"'Sent' is hardly the word, she couldn't be restrained! She was adamant about making the initial foray by herself. "Observation without interference," she said, went on and on about it. You know how it is. But in the end, she was accompanied by several trusted friends."

"Then who's she with?"

 ** _****Meanwhile...****_**

" _Aghhhhhh!_ " The usual silence of the jungle was shattered by several terrified screams before three figures erupted out of the undergrowth, running as fast as their legs could carry them, running for their lives!

The tallest of the three was a man with sandy blonde hair, adorned with khaki shorts and a blue jacket. The younger man running along his right had similar attire, the only difference being that he wore green instead of blue and his brown hair was arranged in a row of spikes. Lastly sprinted a woman with a compact, athletic body built for the outdoors, wearing a beige vest over a red shirt, her equally red hair tied in a ponytail, swaying in different directions much like the tail of a galloping horse. A loud screech was heard , and the leaves of the underbrush parted, revealing the nature of their pursuer: from out of the undergrowth at full speed erupted the streamlined shape of a charging Velociraptor!

"She's gaining on us!"exclaimed the younger man, not daring to look over his green clad shoulder.

"She can't catch us all if we split up!"interjected the older one, his brother. But scarcely had the words left his mouth when the raptor uttered a distinctive barking call. Several more shrieks answered from the surrounding foliage, and as the blonde dared to look behind him, he then wished he hadn't; several more of the fleet footed carnivorous dinosaurs had joined the hunt.

"The world just loves to prove me wrong, doesn't it?"he mumbled sarcastically.

"Where there's one raptor, there's oftentimes a pack of them!"interjected the redhead, running ahead of him.

Suddenly a bloodcurdling shriek sounded as one of the raptors made its pounce, sending the man crashing to the forest floor on his stomach. "Oof!" Grabbing him by his boot, the predator proceeded to drag the helpless human into the thicket. The man in green froze in his tracks, a gasp of horror escaping his lips upon seeing his older brother's predicament.

"Martin!"

"Go, Chris!"urged the fallen man, fingers clawing the forest floor in futile resistance against the raptor.

"No! I can't leave you, bro!"

"Go! It's too late for me, but save yourssseeeelf!" That last part was yelled as Martin disappeared within the leafy curtains of the thick undergrowth that rustled and shook violently as his screams were mingled with the snarls of the Velociraptors.

With few options, Chris turned around and ran. He continued to run until he caught up to the woman on a wide game trail, but they were not out of the woods yet; several spine-chilling shrieks told them that the raptors were still on the hunt, intent on finishing them off!

"Sarah!"panted Chris. "Get to the Tortuga! I'll lead them away!" Sarah nodded in understanding as the Kratt in green suddenly changed his course, crashing into the tall grass as he left the trail, yelling at the top of his lungs to try and gain the voracious theropods' attention. "Hey! Over here!"

While the raptors were preoccupied with trying to catch Chris, the paleontologist took full advantage of the opportunity to escape the danger zone.

"Catch me if you can!" Meanwhile, Chris was swinging from tree to tree, avoiding the raptors' snapping jaws as they jumped vertically trying to sink their teeth into his flesh. As he made his way along the tree roads, laughing as he playfully taunted his pursuers. "Ooh! Almost had me! Missed me by a mile! Missed again! Three strikes, you're out!" Down below, the dinosaurs continued their assault, hoping for the climber's footing to slip.

"It's over, raptor pack! I have the high ground!"yelled the Kratt in green triumphantly as he continued his arboreal escape. "Better luck next time!" However, in his haste and overconfidence, Chris miscalculated his next step, landing on a rotten tree branch that gave way under his weight with a _SNAP!_

"AGHHHHH!" The screaming Kratt fell backwards, plummeting twenty feet to the understory before being submerged in a scaly tidal wave of raptors.

Sarah Harding was running as she had never ran before in her entire life, everything passing by her like a blur as she forced herself to block out Chris' screaming far in the distance. Before long, the sun's rays filtered their way through the jungle's leafy curtains as the paleontologist was fast approaching a wide clearing where, to her relief, the large terrapin shape came into view. The Tortuga H.Q. Safety. But her relief was short lived as a bloodcurdling shriek alerted her that she was still being hunted! With her last remaining energy, Sarah dashed at full speed for the clearing. But with her heart racing and her lungs burning, she was quickly beginning to tire. Almost there..

And then something heavy struck her from behind, forcing her to the ground. The woman hit the dirt hard and rolled over, coming face to face with a set of formidable razor sharp teeth that were bared, golden eyes glaring down on her. A set of razor sharp talons laid on her vulnerable stomach, poised to strike at any moment. Sarah shut her eyes tightly, turning her head as she resigned to her fate... before a wet tongue assaulted her freckled face, causing the woman to sob with laughter as she tried in vain to push the raptor's head away.

"No! Stohahahahap! Okay, you win! You win!"

The raptor in question gurgled a guttural warble that resembled a laugh ere backing off, allowing the human to rise to her feet. A feminine, robotic laughing was heard along with a voice that said: **_"Yes!_** _**I**_ _**have**_ _**won!"**_ Sarah patted the scaly head adorned with a flat, gray mechanical pad with a hint of turquoise.

"Yeah, you got me again. Congratulations, Amber." Another mechanical laugh was heard, echoing from the metal hat.

Behind them, hysterical laughter was heard as Martin emerged from the underbrush, completely unharmed, soon followed by a group of six or seven Velociraptors who playfully nudged him, rubbing their bodies against him. "Stop! You know that tickles!"exclaimed the Kratt in blue between laughs, one hand clutching his stomach while the other patted a nearby raptor.

"These guys are getting better, alright."he said once they joined Sarah and Amber. "Won't be too long before they're ready to join the older raptors on the hunt." As the paleontologist dusted herself, Martin looked upon the raptors as they chittered among themselves, slowly swishing their tails while two others playfully tussled with each other. The group was made up of seven individuals made up of four females and three males, all of which were around Amber's age of four or five years, the eldest being a young male with black stripes adorning his bright orange skin; for that reason the Kratt in blue dubbed him Tiger Claw, and he seemed to be the leader of the group (which made sense because he was the eldest son of the alpha pair..). But he also noticed that whenever he was around Amber, which he currently was at the moment, his normally reserved and serious demeanor softened and he would sometimes be seen engaging the spunkier female in play alongside the rest of the group. Martin smiled, sensing the possible chemistry between the two.

"Wait a minute,"said Martin, noticing something was off. "Where's Chris? Have you guys seen Chris?" This was directed at the raptors who all shook their heads in response. One of them sounded a croak that resembled a no.

 _ **"No, I have not."**_ replied Amber from her Creature Thought Translator as she shook her head.

As the Kratt in blue called for his missing brother, they were soon joined by three other people, two women and a young man who had all raced out of the Tortuga's main entrance.

"Jimmy! Koki! Laura!"exclaimed Martin, racing toward the trio. In the lead was a young African American in a red, short sleeved shirt with a white star on it, yellow pants, and red shoes. She also had a yellow head band worn over raven hair arranged in an afro. Behind her came a slender young man wearing a backwards blue-green baseball cap on his red hair, along with a grey t-shirt with a white, long sleeved shirt worn underneath, and red plaid shorts. He also had notable facial hair on his chin. Lastly came a woman around Martin's age. A dark brown outdoors brim hat covered golden blonde hair that was tied in a French braid. She also wore a blue t-shirt covered by a beige vest as well as a pair of khaki shorts.

"Has anyone seen Aviva?"asked Koki. "We haven't seen her since she went out on her Hover Bike an hour ago."

"Relax, Koki. I'm sure she's fine."interjected Laura with a chuckle, a bit quickly unbeknownst to everyone else. But the creature adventurer caught it, regarding the blonde suspiciously.

"I agree with Laura."added Jimmy Z, taking a bite out of a slice of pizza in his hand. "Besides she can always call us on her Creaturepo–" he stopped mid sentence upon seeing a purple mobile phone in Koki's hand. The technician in question had a deadpan look. "ohhhh..."

"Aviva's missing too?"questioned Sarah, joining the discussion.

"Too? Who else?"asked a baffled Koki.

"Chris. We haven't seen him since our Veloci-Tag game."said Martin, now starting to worry as he was getting no answer from his Creaturepod.

As the team discussed their next course of action, Amber and the other young raptors all exchanged knowing glances.

 _ ****** Elsewhere...******_

Miles away from the Tortuga, deep in the heart of the lush redwood forest laid a hidden sunlit cove, fed by torrents of cascading white water falling from the moss-covered cliffs above. The rocky walls were lined with myriads of colorful flowers, ferns and other tropical vegetation and inaccessible to any large animal, the crystal clear pool's only entrance being a narrow passageway that led from the surrounding forest. From within the confines of the canyon, laughter could be heard echoing off the cove's rocky walls as the two occupants were frolicking and swimming in the cool water, all the while playfully splashing one another under the waterfall.

Before too long, Chris and Aviva hauled themselves out onto the shore, their summer attire now soaking wet. The Kratt in green handed the young brunette a violet colored towel that was draped over one of the nearby sun baked boulders.

"Muchísimas gracias, Cariño." said the Tortuga inventor sweetly, accepting the towel as she planted a kiss on Chris' cheek, causing him to blush bright red, a goofy smile forming on his face. "De nada," he replied. The young Kratt had picked up a lot of Spanish over the years that he was becoming more fluent. Suddenly a low rumbling sound was heard, briefly startling the inventor before she placed a hand on her stomach. "Ooh. I'm hungry. Got anything for lunch?"

Aviva had hardly finished her sentence when she spied a checkered sheet that was splayed out at full width on the green grass of the far side of the cove. On top of that was a fully loaded picnic basket dead center in a bouquet of wildflowers neatly arranged in a familiar paw print insignia. Seated crisscross on one end was Chris, gesturing or her to come sit by his side. "Bon appétit, mon chéri."he said with an inviting smile, earning a giggle from the inventor.

After their meal, the pair rested on the soft bed of grass, Aviva's head resting on Chris' chest as the Kratt in green was lying on his back, neither saying a word as they observed the various birds that occasionally perched among the trees, or admired the white clouds slowly drifting along the blue sky.

A moment of peaceful silence. "What a day."said Chris, heaving a blissful sigh.

"Yup. And I can't believe that it's been almost two weeks already."replied Aviva. "Seems as though it was only yesterday that we first came here to Isla Sorna,"

"Mm-hmm, another really cool place to add to the life list."added Chris.

"How did you discover this place anyway?"asked Aviva, looking around the pristine cove that they were in.

"Remember that time last week when we were studying the secrets to Microraptor gliding?"

 ** _****Flashback...****_**

"Hurry, Chris! They're getting away!"

Chris and Martin were running along the forest floor, glancing up to the thick canopy as they were trying to catch up with several tiny flashes of black flying overhead.

Being the faster of the two, Chris sprinted ahead of his lagging brother who was panting and wheezing from exhaustion before collapsing among the ferns. He soon caught a glimpse of his quarry; outwardly, the creatures were rather small and resembled crows due to the color of their plumage. However, unlike crows, their hands were visible underneath inky black wings, each sporting three sharp claws, and on their feet, the middle toe sported a characteristic hooklike talon, similar to those of Amber and the Velociraptors, and like their raptorial cousins, they had long, balancing tails, only these creatures had diamond-shaped fans at their ends. Most striking of all, these arboreal dinosaurs had four sets of wings, the other pair located on their hind legs. According to Sarah, these were one of the smallest dinosaurs ever discovered. Microraptors.

"Almost– Whoa!" The Kratt in green came to a screeching halt as he froze before the edge of a rocky cliff.

"Phew. That was a close one." Glancing up at a towering redwood tree, he spied one of the minuscule dinosaurs perched on one of its branches. "Well, looks like it's just you and me, little guy." Almost in answer, the Microraptor unfolded his forearms, black wings extended before he launched himself from his arboreal platform. The young Kratt watched in wide eyed amazement as the small theropod glided across the entire width of the newly discovered cove, occasionally flapping his raven wings ere landing on a robust forest giant on the opposite side, swallowing a dragonfly caught in his jaws.

"Whoa! That was a 300 foot glide! Almost the length of a football field!" Chris exclaimed after measuring the distance with his Creaturepod.

"Hey, Chris! Wait up!"

"Oof! Ahhhhh!"

The Kratt in green barely had enough time to react when he was hit from behind by a blue figure moving among the dense foliage. Unfortunately, Chris began to lose his balance on the cliff ledge and it wasn't long before he fell forty feet down, ultimately landing in the azure pool down below with a tremendous splash.

From his place on the edge, Martin looked around cluelessly for his missing brother. "Chris! Chris? Where'd you go?" A loud splashing sound told the Kratt in blue to glance down. "Uh-oh. Chris! You okay down there?"

 ** _****End of Flashback...****_**

Needless to say, Aviva couldn't stop laughing as Chris finished recounting his tale. "Sounds like you two got into your usual amount of trouble that time,"

The young Kratt cast her an unamused glance. "Really funny." Another giggle. Soon enough, he gave in, his deadpan stare melted into a smile and it wasn't long before he too laughed out loud. "Well, what else can I say? Many great discoveries are found by accident." For a while, peaceful silence reigned in the forest.

"Aviva," he said after a momentary pause. "You know I love you, right?"

"Mm-hmm,"she hummed. "Of course I do! ¡Y te amo con todo mi corazón!" She then pulled Chris into a tight embrace which he more than happily returned.

"Feliz aniversario, Cariño."she whispered.

"Happy anniversary to you too." For a brief moment, the pair gazed into each other's eyes, hazel brown meeting stormy gray as their faces slowly drifted closer and closer, eyelids beginning to close, until their lips met in a passionate kiss. Aviva's arms wrapped around Chris' neck as his strong but gentle arms constricted around her waist, deepening the kiss. But the need for oxygen soon beckoned, and they parted reluctantly. Nonetheless they remained close, foreheads touching as they once again met eye to eye, exchanging smiles and whispers.

"Y'know, during these past couple of years, I realized something."

"Hmm?"hummed Aviva, noticing that Chris had suddenly become nervous for the first time since their relationship started. She waited patiently as the creature adventurer summoned enough courage to say what he had on his mind. After taking several deep breaths, he finally spoke.

"Before all of this, I thought I had it all; living the dream, traveling the world, meeting all kinds of creatures with Martin, being part of a wonderful team. But ever since that skirmish with those poachers, it was you who really opened my eyes, and I see that you're what makes my life complete, Aviva. One hundred percent. These past four or five years have been some of the happiest of all my life," here the Kratt in green paused, drawing another deep breath. "I really wanna ask you something. Something really important."

"What?"asked the inventor, trying her hardest to contain all sorts of emotions, trying to hold back the tears of happiness in her intelligent gray eyes as he held both her hands.

"Aviva Corcovado, will yo–"

 _ **"Chris!"**_

"AGHHH! OOF!" but Chris never finished as he was tackled to the ground by a flash of orange. Lying flat on his back, he glanced up to see his attacker. Behind him, he could hear the inventor trying her hardest not to laugh, but failing miserably.

"What the– Amber? What're you doing here?"

The young Velociraptor answered by rubbing her snout against Chris' face before she shrieked toward the direction of the cove's entrance. **_"I have found them!"_**

The pair looked to the edge of the cove to see Martin entering through the narrow rocky passage, promptly followed by Laura. "Chris! Aviva! There you are!"he exclaimed before he began talking a mile a minute. "We've been looking everywhere for you! We had no idea where you went off to, so we asked Amber here to sniff you guys out, and– did we interrupt something?"

"No! Nothing!"replied the couple at the same time, their faces turning red from embarrassment. Laura and Amber exchanged glances before they both giggled in understanding. Martin raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's the matter, guys?"asked Aviva, breaking the ice.

"We have some really bad news, but we'll explain once we get back to the Tortuga!"replied Laura in an authoritative voice born from years as a wildlife ranger. Chris and Aviva exchanged worried glances.

"Sorry,"whispered Laura sweetly to the pair, knowing full well that they had just spoiled a private moment. She then broke into a jog as she caught up with the Kratt in blue, shouting: "Race you to the H.Q, Martin!"

"You're on!"exclaimed the creature adventurer, accepting her challenge. But the pair had hardly gone very far when a flash of orange sprinted past them at full speed, laughing as she declared: **_"Prepare to eat my dust!"_**

Chris and Aviva watched as the two humans and the Velociraptor began to disappear from view, almost as though the jungle had swallowed them into its green depths.

"Well what are we waiting for?"questioned the inventor playfully before she raced over to her blue Hover Bike parked along the edge of the cove's rocky walls.

"C'mon, Chris! Hop on!"said Aviva, now mounted on her Hover Bike, helmet donned as she gestured towards the copilot seat.

"That's okay, Aviva."answered Chris rather calmly with a chuckle. "You go on ahead. I'll catch up,"

"¿Estás seguro?"she asked. He nodded.

Aviva glanced over her shoulder before she reluctantly hovered over the forty foot walls, flying back in the direction of the terrapin home base. Chris watched her go until she was out of sight. The Kratt in green heaved a sigh, glancing down at the item held within his hand: a little velvet box.

"I guess there's always next time,"

 ** _****Meet the Velociraptors, part of a pack who live along the coast and one of the first creatures to befriend the WK team. In fact, the wild raptors are far more docile than their captive counterparts.._**

 ** _Four years have past and Amber's on her way to becoming a fully fledged raptor, though her personality isn't exactly what one would typically expect from her kind. Oh yeah, that's right: Amber can talk! Or at least she can more easily communicate with the team; the idea for her Thought Translator came from Dug's collar from Up and Steve from Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. As far as design goes, it's based on Plato's hat from the Platypus Cafe episode. I'm still debating who her VA should be: either Tara Strong or Hynden Walch._**

 ** _Laura Wilkinson is a character who was inspired by SilverWaterBombadil's Kitty Carlo (SilverWater served as a major inspiration when it came to fanfics..) .She may not be a shapeshifter here, but she's a wildlife ranger who's a lot tougher than she looks._**

 ** _PS, due to some of my other stories, it will be a while before my next update.._**

 ** _PSS, just because I've now started this story doesn't mean I'm done with ORAK, I'll still work on that.._**

 ** _So stay tuned!_**


	3. The Great White Hunter

Midday in Mombassa Kenya, and the local open air cafe was buzzing like a beehive with activity as locals and tourists alike all sat on their designated tables and booths, eating, drinking at the bar and laughing in merry good cheer. Roland Tembo, a hardy outdoorsman in his late sixties and skin like leather, was sitting at his table under the shade of a wooden umbrella, simply minding his own business. Despite all the commotion and noise of the other customers, especially an obnoxious group of American tourists on safari, he simply tuned them out, calmly eating his lunch and drinking a beer while he read _The Maneaters_ _of Tsavo_ , his eyeglasses hanging low on his nose as he skimmed over the book with the diamond-hard look of a cobra.

Suddenly, he stopped reading and furrowed his brow. He looked up, sniffing the air like a predator on the trail of its prey. A pearly white smile slowly adorned his face as he called out: "Ajay?"

The outdoorsman instantly whirled around, coming face to face with Ajay Sidhu, a wiry East Indian in his late forties standing behind him, caught trying to sneak up on him. "How did you know?" exclaimed Ajay in delight as he raced to embrace his longtime friend.

"That cheap aftershave I send you every Christmas, you actually wear it." Roland replied, touching his nose. "I'm touched. Sit down, sit down, what on earth brings you to Mombassa?"

"You."said Ajay, taking a seat across from the outdoorsman. "Tell me, Roland, when was the last time you answered your phone?"

"Last time I plugged it in, I suppose. Why?"

"I got a call from a gentleman who's going to Costa Rica, or thereabouts. If he's to be believed, it's a most unique expedition. And very well-funded."

"Well, I'm a very well-funded old son of a bitch."replied Tembo, sipping his beer. "You go."

Sidhu looked up in surprise. "But alone? We always had great success together, you and I."

"Just a little bit too much, I think."

"What do you mean?"

The old hunter went on philosophically, saying: "A true hunter doesn't mind if the animal wins. If it escapes. But there weren't enough escapes from you and me, Ajay. We were a firing squad, don't you think? It all became rather routine, didn't it? I have no interest in being an executioner."

"I have good reason to believe that you would find this challenging."replied Ajay with his ever present smile.

"Then it's probably illegal. These days, it's a far worse crime to shoot a tiger than to shoot your own parents." Upon that, Ajay nearly had beer come out of his nose as he stifled a laugh. Suddenly a loud kurfuffle arose not far from the two seasoned gentlemen, catching their attention. From a nearby table, the American tourists roared with laughter as one of them berated a local waitress, pawing her rear end as his comrades cheered him on.

"Tigers have advocates."remarked Tembo, rising from his seat in a heartbeat. "Excuse me."

With that, Roland strolled over to the tourists' table, saying something to the waitress in Swahili, who then walked away. He stared down at the most impudent of the group under his beige brim hat.

"You, sir, are no gentleman." At these biting words, the tourists once more burst into laughter. The largest of the bunch, the same who harassed the waitress, folded his arms, spitting on the ground at Roland's feet.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"he asked with an arrogant sneer.

"I can think of none greater."replied the hunter casually, wiping his eyeglasses with a napkin.

The tourist looked to his buddies and laughed, waving him off. "Buzz off, you silly old bastard."

"What do I have to do to pick a fight with you, bring your mother into it?"

"Ooooooh..."chorused the group as they looked to their friend. The big tourist wasn't about to let that wise crack go unanswered. "Are you kidding? I could take you with one arm tied down."

"Is that so?"

 ** _**** A Few Minutes Later...****_**

A waiter finished tying Roland's wrist to his belt with a handkerchief, pulling the knot tightly. The brawny tourist, untied, stood across from the bound man as the latter removed his hat.

"I meant _my_ arm." Those words had hardly left the brawny tourist's mouth when– _POW!_ With the speed of a striking viper, Roland punched him square in the jaw with his unbound fist, sending his opponent tumbling down among his friends. The unmannerly lout reeled, stunned before he lunged at his adversary, blood boiling over in rage, swinging wildly with both arms. But his fists were only met by air as the hunter bobbed, neatly ducking as he waited for an opportunity to strike, calmly drinking a glass of beer. Once it came, he landed another quick punch in the tourist's face, causing blood to flow freely from his nose. The brute quickly recovered before he once again charged head on like a raging bull.

Roland anticipated the attack, but this time he didn't punch. Waving to the left, he threw a hip, augmenting it with a foot sweep that knocked the knave off his feet. Losing his balance, the tourist sailed into a table, flipping it over and wiping out an older couple's lunch. He landed like a ton of bricks, the table on top of him in a cloud of sawdust. Loud cheers rose up from the bar as local spectators applauded the Great White Hunter as he took his leave.

"I'm sorry. You were saying?"asked Roland as he rejoined Ajay at the table.

"You broke that man's jaw for no reason other than your own boredom."said Sidhu, glancing back at the scene of carnage. "Tell the truth, Roland. Aren't you even interested in knowing this expedition's quarry?"

Wiping the blood from his fist, the veteran outdoorsman retorted coldly: "Ajay. Go on up to my ranch, take a look around the trophy room, and tell me what kind of quarry you think could _possibly_ be of any interest to me." To this Ajay simply smiled.

 **...**

In a large warehouse, the sparks of an acetylene torch flew as workmen made modifications on several vehicles, including a dark-green Mercedes Benz AAV (all-activity vehicle). The hood of the AAV is up and the V-6 engine has been pulled out; a new, smaller engine lowered in its place. To one side were two long trailers donned in camouflage coloring, connected by an accordion-like passageway, similar in design to a subway car, allowing one to be towed behind the other.

The warehouse was buzzing with activity as the crew scrambled furiously to meet a last minute deadline. Eddie Carr, forty or so in age, strolled along the aisles as he supervised the preparations as Malcolm followed close by, the latter carrying a satellite phone, a bright green headset attached to a heavy battery base. He dialed the phone and anxiously waited for an answer.

"You can't shave three days off my deadline and expect everything to be ready."stated Eddie, obviously displeased with the sudden change. "I'm not fully supplied, I haven't field tested any of this stuff!"

"Damn it! Why doesn't Sarah ever answer her satellite phone?!"exclaimed the scientist in irritation, hanging up for the fourth or fifth time.

"Could be anything. Solar flares, a satellite out of synch. It's not exactly a local call. I need half air on the tires here, guys!" This was directed to some nearby workers running maintenance on the vehicles.

"Let me talk to your communications designer."

"You _are_ talking to him."replied the technician with a deadpan look, arms folded. He hardly finished when a battered white van roared through the door of the garage, pulling in backwards before coming to a stop in the middle of the floor. An American in his late twenties hopped out of the vehicle, looking a bit cranky.

"Thanks for the two minute warning, Eddie."he grumbled, sliding the cargo door open, revealing photographic equipment– video cameras, cables, metal supply cases. Eddie immediately started the introductions. "Nick van Owen, this is Ian Malcolm. Nick's our field photographer. Ian's our umm– Ian."

"What's your background? Wildlife photography?"asked Malcolm, addressing the newcomer.

"Wildlife, combat, you name it."replied Nick as he unloaded the van. "When I was with Nightline I was in Rwanda, Chechnya, all over Bosnia. Thanks.."– here, a workman helped the photographer unload a box from the vehicle– "Do some volunteer for Greenpeace once in a while."

"Greenpeace? What drew you there?"

"Women. 'Bout eighty percent female in Greenpeace."

"Very noble."

"Yeah. Noble was last year. This year I'm getting paid. Hammond's check cleared, or I wouldn't be going on this wild goose chase."

"Where you're going is the only place in the world where the geese chase _you_."

Nick looked at him, unconvinced. "Uh-huh."

While they were talking, the nature of the items the photographer unloaded had changed. Instead of photographic equipment, he was now pulling out tools– a pry bar, a small ax, a set of chisels and punches, bolt and wire cutters to name a few.

This caused Malcolm to raise an eyebrow. "We're only going to find Dr. Harding, then we leave immediately. You won't need all that."

"Oh, I think I might. You never know."

From the ceiling, a large metal cage crashed down with a _CLANG!_ The startled trio leaped back as they looked up. A nearly workman waved from a scaffolding.

"Sorry, Eddie! Specs say it can't deform at 12,000 PSI, we had to test it!"he informed.

Eddie bent down to inspect the cage, which was rectangular in shape, constricted of inch-thick titanium-alloy bars.

"What the hell is _that_?"asked Malcolm, turning to the technician. "A high hide. You go up and you hide. High. This cage goes up to where the trees are. Keeps the researchers out of harm's way."

"Actually, it puts them at a very convenient biting height,"

"Hmm. This aluminum's too shiny. We should paint it matte black." This was said to a worker standing behind Eddie. "And Bobby, I said I wanted camera mounts in the corners of the cage too, not just on the scaffolding."

"Wait. More cameras?"asked the mathematician.

"Oh yeah."Eddie replied as he gestured to a tall scaffold that's nearby. On it, crewmen were attaching long, dangling wires to four strategically placed camera mounts. "The remote heads are automatic pivoters with heat sensors that are active twenty-four hours a day."

As they spoke, one of the already-installed cameras on the high hide whirred to life, picking them up as they walk past. The camera followed them as they go, displaying their image on a video monitor near the base of the scaffolding. "The data gets multiplexed and we'll uplink it back to New York at the end of every day. It's a great system, just a little buggy at the moment."

He reached out, reframing the camera, which pivoted off of them, now shooting a fluorescent light above them.

"Our charter leaves in three hours."stated the mathematician, checking his watch. "If it isn't ready, just leave it behind. Now, I wanna talk to whoever's in charge of security." Here, Eddie simply looked at him incredulously. "You know, weapons. Guns. Who's doing that?"

Eddie held his arm out, saying: "You're talking to him." A long pause. "You're kidding, right?"

"Kidding?" In answer, the head technician smacked a metal case down on a workbench, flipping a couple latches. He opened it, revealing a heavy silver rifle, an aluminum canister hanging beneath the barrel.

"Lindstradt air rifle. Fires a subsonic Fluger impact-delivery dart." He cracked open the cartridge bank, revealing a row of plastic containers filled with straw-colored liquid. Each is tipped with a three inch needle and carried a bright yellow warning tag that said–" ** _EXTREME DANGER! LETHAL TOXICITY!_** "

"Does it work better than your satellite phone?"

"That's funny. I loaded the enhanced venom of _Conus purpurascens_ , the South Sea cone shell. Most powerful neurotoxin in the world, according to many animal experts. Acts within a two-thousandth of a second, which is faster than the nerve-conduction velocity. So the animal's down before it feels the prick of the dart."

"Is there an antidote?"

"Like if you shot yourself in the foot? Don't do that. You'd be dead before you realized you had an accident."

"Wicked cool."said a young voice from behind. The two men turned around to meet Kelly Malcolm, an African-American girl around twelve years old, standing behind them, undoubtedly awed and impressed by all the goings-on in the warehouse. She then turned to the scientist with a smile. "Hi, Dad."

"Kelly!"exclaimed Malcolm happily, embracing his daughter. "You found it! What took you so long?"

"Sorry. I couldn't get a cab."she replied, all smiles, for her spring break vacation had just started.

"I uhh.. have to talk to you." Kelly's smile immediately disappeared as she now regarded her father's serious expression suspiciously.

 ** _**** Several Minutes Later...****_**

"I don't even know this woman."mumbled the twelve year old, swiveling around in a spinning office chair. She and her father were currently upstairs in a small office. Malcolm was leaning against the desk.

"What're you talking about? It's Karen. You've known her for ten years."

"She doesn't even have Netflix. She's such a troglodyte."

"Cruel, but good word use."murmured the scientist with a slight smile.

"Why can't I stay with Sarah?"

"Because, Sarah is– out of town. Karen's fantastic though. She'll take you to the museum, to the movies, horseback riding, you're going to have a fantastic time."

"Stop saying 'fantastic'!"interjected Kelly before she demanded: "Where are you going anyway?"

"That I can't tell you. Come on, it's only gonna be a few days. I wouldn't go if it wasn't a life–" here Malcolm stopped himself before he finished, "if it wasn't extremely important."

"I'm your daughter all the time. You can't just abandon me whenever opportunity knocks."

"That hurts my feelings."he replied quietly. "Did your mom tell you to say that?"

"No, Dad. I have thoughts of my own once in a while."

Just then, Eddie's voice could be heard over the intercom. **_"Dr. Malcolm, downstairs please.."_**

"I thought you appreciated the fact that I treat you like an adult. Do you want to be patronized and condescended to like other kids?"

"But I want you to crack on me a little bit!"the preteen explained as she left her seat, waving her hands in the air. "You know, ground me or something, send me to my room. You never do any of that stuff." She then dropped down onto a nearby table. Malcolm took a seat next to her, looking her in the eye.

"That stuff never worked with you, Kelly. Not once. You–you're your own person, always have been. You don't need a parent, you just need someone to pay the rent and try to keep up with you until you take over the world. You amaze me. The queen, goddess, my inspiration."

 ** _"Dr. Malcolm!"_** Eddie called out a bit more impatiently.

"I could come with you. I could be your research assistant, just like I was in Austin."

"This is nothing like Austin. Uh– but anyway, you got your own stuff. You got your gymnastics competition. You've been training for months.." But that only seemed to perturb Kelly further as she replied, "Gymnastics? I scrubbed out, Dad. I got cut from the team. Thanks for knowing,"

"Oh.. I'm sorry honey.. I uh.. know how much that meant to you."he answered sheepishly.

"You like to have kids, you just don't want to be with them, do you?" Now she had really crossed the line.

"Hey,"thundered the mathematician angrily, slamming a desk drawer shut. "I'm not the one who dumped you here, and split for Paris, okay? So don't take it out on me."

 ** _"Dr. Malcolm, downstairs!"_**

Malcolm's anger left as quickly as it came, and as he glances at a downcast Kelly, he immediately winced, regretting his actions. He heaved a sigh as he made his way out of he office door, pausing momentarily."

"I–I'm sorry. Look, you want some good parental advice? Don't listen to me. Don't listen to me." With that he took his leave down the stairs to meet up with the waiting technician.

While Malcolm and Eddie argued over something in the background, Kelly circled around the trailers curiously, looking up at the windows, all made of tempered glass, fine wire mesh inside. The girl looked around to see if anybody was watching. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she quickly slipped inside the back trailer.

On the inside, the trailer is a miracle of planning and design: divided into sections, for different laboratory functions. The main area was a biological lab, with specimen trays, dissecting pans, and microscopes that were connected to video monitors. Next to it was an extensive computer section, a bank of processors, and a communication section. All the lab equipment was miniaturized and built into small tables that slide into the walls. Everything was bolted down to prevent accidents.

"This is so cool."the girl whispered to herself, marveling at all the lights and gadgets.

Moving into the front section, she then noticed a large map on the wall adjacent to a fully furnished bookshelf with natural history titles such as _Modeling Adaptive Biological Systems, Vertebrate Behavioral Dynamics, Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems, Dinosaur Heresies, Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs_ just to name a few. Off the coast of Costa Rica, there was an area that's been circled in heavy black ink. Kelly put a finger on the map, crossing westward, through the Pacific Ocean, where dozens of islands rested, but in the highlighted region, there was a semi-circle of five: _Matanceros. Muerte. Tacano_. _Pena_. And _Sorna_ , the largest. Underneath the whole island chain was a bold legend– " _Las Cinco Muertes_."

Her father's voice could still be heard from outside, but listening closely, Kelly could distinctly hear him saying to Eddie: "You heard what they said. We gotta go now if we're going to meet up with Sarah and the Wild Kratts team before sundown." A wide grin slowly crawled upon the girl's face as she practically jumped up and down with excitement.

"The Wild Kratts? Count me in!"

 ** _**** Meet Roland Tembo, the last of the philosopher hunters. I felt that the movie didn't do him enough justice as a character, so I added this deleted scene. (No idea why it was taken out...)_**

 **Looks like things are really flying south for our research team to get to Site B in a hurry, especially getting that SOS call. Tell y'all more about it in upcoming chapters.**

 _ **PS, I wanna thank you guys for your patience and sorry for the wait. It's hard to write several different stories at once, but I intend to follow through with**_ **_all_** **_of_** **_them.._**


	4. Journey Into The Unknown

"Couldn't– we just—airlift – into the — island?"

As the ferry boat made its way through the passive Pacific waters with its cargo of vehicles and explorers, Malcolm stood in the vessel's bow, eyes cast forward as a tiny dot of volcanic island rose in the distance. Nearby, Nick was adjusting the rigging on some of the strapped down equipment while a seasick Eddie bent over the rail, losing his lunch for what seemed the fourth or fifth time.

"Helicopters are too disruptive."said Malcolm in answer to Eddie's complaint. "If Sarah and the others are in a delicate situation, the last thing I wanna do is cause the animals to panic." At that, Nick stifled a snicker.

"Now, John Hammond has already told you what you're going to see on this island."stated the mathematician grimly. "Being sane people, I'm sure you don't believe him. And I'm sure you've concluded that I'm out of my mind too. I won't bother trying to convince you otherwise. But even if you think I'm deluded and harmless, I promise you, this place is not. There are things in the interior of that island that not only _can_ kill you, they _want_ to kill you. Take this place lightly, you'll never leave it."

The boat continued its course for the island, slowly plowing through a blanket of fog that swirled and encircled the vessel before coming into a verdant lagoon surrounded by various tropical plants. Far in the distance, the songs of the indigenous birds were not the only sounds that could be heard from deep in the jungle; there were also strange booming bellows totally new to the explorers, reminiscent of a chorus from some bygone era. As the boat made its landing, a narrow metal ramp is placed unto the white, sandy shore, allowing the jeeps and camouflaged trailers to disembark, one of the former towing the larger vehicle. Malcolm stood at the edge of the water, speaking to the boat's captain while Nick stood between them, translating. The captain seemed fearful, one arm draped protectively around his thirteen year old son, his eyes casting quick, cautious glances around the beach and the surrounding vegetation.

"He says he wants to anchor a few miles offshore, but not here."said the photographer, translating the man's words. "He's heard too many stories about this island chain and he's not taking any chances."

"What stories?"inquired Malcolm. Nick turned to the captain, repeating the question in Spanish. "¿Que tipo de cuentos?"

"De pescadores. Que acercaron demasiado a las islas y nunca volvieron."came the answer.

"Si, si, si, he's heard stories about fishermen who came too close to the islands, and they never returned." Nick translated. Malcolm nodded in understanding.

"Tengo la radio, tengo el teléfono satelital,"

"He has a radio, he has a satellite phone,"

"Si me necesitas, llámame, podemos aparecer en dos horas,"

"If you need him, send him a call; he'll be here in about two hours."

"Pero no me alojaré aquí,"

"But he will not stay here."

"No me alojaré en ningún lugar cerca de estas islas,"

"He will not stay anywhere near these islands."

"Se llaman Las Cinco Muertes."

"They call the islands– ¿Las Cinco Muertes?" Here the cameraman raised an eyebrow upon hearing the ominous name.

"Si."answered the sailor in confirmation.

"What–what does that mean?"asked Eddie from his place by the AAV.

"The Five Deaths, he says." For the first time, Nick's face distinctly registered concern and Eddie's face seemed to have paled. For a longest time, not a word was spoken.

"Well, that's that."said Malcolm as though it weren't the first time he's been on a forsaken island. "Let's be on our way." As he disembarked the vessel, the technician and photographer watched him go incredulously before exchanging glances.

 ** _**** Two Hours Later...****_**

"I built a location sensor into Dr. Harding's satellite phone so we should be getting a reading,"said Eddie as he, Malcolm and Nick trekked through a wide forest trail as he led the way, a positioning system in hand. The mathematician walked beside him while Nick was trotting along behind him with all of his camera equipment, all the while admiring the natural scenery, from the low growing ferns to towering redwoods.

Their position on the GPS screen was very clearly marked by a blinking red X on the top corner, slowly making its way from the northeastern edge of the island. It continued thus before a red triangle appears a short distance away from the X, accompanied by an ID tag labeled "HRDG,". Along side the triangle also appeared a round, turquoise circle with a paw print insignia.

"That's our girl." Turning to Malcolm, Eddie smirked. "See, Doc? Everything's under control."

"Her phone is safe. I'm so relieved. You've got the rifle?" In answer, Eddie picked up the Lindstradt rifle, slinging it over his shoulder. "Let's go. And the second we get her, we're out of here."

"Speak for yourself."remarked the cameraman from behind. "For the amount of zeroes on my paycheck, John Hammond is going to get his money's worth." Ignoring him, the scientist continued his search.

"She should be here somewhere, we're right on top of it–"murmured Malcolm eyes darting from the GPS to the surrounding trees until he and the technician were alerted by Nick as he pointed over to the other side of an oncoming creek no more than several yards away. "Over there!"

In almost no time at all, the trio raced over to the other side where a battered old backpack laid out on the ground, a torn and dirty shirt splayed out beside it. Nick picked up the backpack, which was filthy, torn, and smeared with dirt and what looked to be dried blood.

"Oh, my God . . ." Eddie mumbled as both he and Nick eyed the pack in horror. Malcolm however, was strangely calm.

"No, that's how it always looks. It's her lucky pack."he reassured his colleagues.

"Well that's a relief,"sighed Nick.

"It better be." Eddie said, looking at the torn bag. Malcolm rummaged through it until he pulled out her satellite phone.

"She must be nearby, if we split up we'll cover more–"

"Absolutely not." the mathematician stated firmly, cutting off Nick's proposal. "We stay together. Predators look for strays that have split off from the group." But Nick shrugged off Malcolm's warning as he walked along the tree line. "I'm going to search the foliage on this side of the stream bed,"

Suddenly the nearby trees started to sway, their leaves raining down to the ground.

"One of you guys stay in the center and the other take the far edge. We'll keep within shouting range of each other and call out every–" Nick froze mid sentence as the trees behind him shivered and swayed once more, only louder this time.

Malcolm gestured to Eddie, who readied his weapon while Nick slid a three quarter inch tape into his video camera before swinging it up onto his shoulder.

"What?"whispered Malcolm addressing the armed technician.

"Something big." Eddie replied, eyes never leaving the undergrowth as the trees continued to shake and sway as its occupant continued to move forward.

"How big?"

"Big enough to worry about!"

Before long, a row of bony, spade-shaped plates jutted out from above the surrounding foliage until their owner came into full view, the sheer sight causing the group to freeze in amazement, their eyes as wide as saucers, mouths agape: From out of the forest lumbered a very large, quadrupedal animal, unlike anything they had seen before. Despite the creature's tiny head, its body was massive, measuring more than thirty feet from nose to tail, and appeared to be as heavy as a bull elephant. But the features that stood out among this behemoth were the two rows of spinal plates along its broad back and the four formidable spikes on its long, powerful tail.

"Whoa... Yikes!"said Eddie while Nick, who was chewing gum, stared at the beast in surprise, causing the gum to drop from his mouth as the cameraman's jaw dropped before he instinctively started snapping snapshot after snapshot of the creature. Even Malcolm, who had expected as much, couldn't help but feel awed in the animal's presence. Despite the fact that none of the three men were trained in the paleontological field, they could immediately recognize the armored colossus as a Stegosaurus.

And it wasn't alone; shortly afterward, a second Stegosaur lumbered into view behind the first, with a small baby in tow. A low bellow startled the trio out their trance, and as they turned to look behind, another of the hulking giants, by far the largest of them all, walked out of the foliage, seemingly unconcerned about the small creatures in its environment, the earth vibrating with its footsteps. In the glistening sunlight, they could see several old, white scars along its vast hide, one of its great plates broken off, and most strikingly, this Stegosaurus had only three tail spikes where there should be four.

"This is– this is magnificent."said Eddie after a moment of awed silence.

"Oh yeah.. ooh..ahh.. That's how it always starts, but then later there's running and umm.. screaming."added Malcolm sarcastically, grimy recalling the very last time something like this had occurred.

Eager to take more once-in-a-lifetime snapshots with his camera, Nick hopped onto a fallen tree that extended across the stream for a better view of the drifting Stegosaurs. So preoccupied in his work he was that he was completely oblivious to a redheaded woman standing nearby, dressed in field gear, snapping photos with her own camera. She became aware of his presence upon hearing the clicking of his camera. A mischievous smile slowly made its way into her features.

" _Hey, Nick!_ " Needless to say, the cameraman was caught off guard as he struggled to maintain his footing on the log. This caused the woman to break into laughter.

"You kind of got the jump on us there a little bit, didn't you Sarah."sighed Nick as he recovered from his initial shock. "Yeah,"chuckled Sarah as she made her way on top of the log. She had hardly reached the top when, to her surprise, she spotted Malcolm standing nearby.

"Ian, I never thought in a million years Hammond would get you to come here," she then turned her attention to the technician. "Hi, Eddie!"

"Hi, Sarah,"he replied with a smile.

"Got a granola bar or something? I'm starving!" The adventurous paleontologist jumped off the fallen tree, landing into the creek with a splash before racing up to the man in black, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace.

"I'm so happy you're here! Is it Wednesday already? I lost track of the time. Those animals that walked by, did you see them? Stegosaurus stenops, family Stegosauridae, infraorder Stegosauria, suborder Thyreophora. Length, adult male, estimate twenty-five to thirty feet. A family group; a pair bond and a subadult, long after that infant was nestbound! Every egg clutch we found had empty shells crushed and trampled; the hatchlings definitely stay within the birth environment for an extended period of time, that's conclusive. I can put

that controversy to rest, if I could just get a shot of the nest. Oooh, a Nikon!" Here, she reached for the camera still hanging around Nick's neck. "Can I borrow that?" Once the cameraman gave his approval, Sarah addressed her boyfriend: "I'll be right, baby, I promise." With that, she walked off, taking the trail blazed by the Stegosaurus as the others stared blankly in her direction. Nick turned to Malcolm with a smile.

"Should we rescue her now or after lunch?"

 ** _**** Three Minutes Later...****_**

"Sarah, when Hammond called you, uhh, why didn't you say something to me?"asked Malcolm as he and the others followed Sarah along the shallow creek.

"Because I new you would have stopped me from coming."replied Sarah over her shoulder, all smiles.

"I would have tied you to the bed...right"

"I think we figured out how the animals survive without lysine."the paleontologist informed, deaf to the mathematician's sarcastic remark.

"I don't care."

"If you look at the diets of the herbivore species that are thriving, you see that they eat mostly soy, agma beans, anything lysine rich. And the carnivores, well they eat the herbivores, so..."–here, she paused upon hearing a low bellow– "shh wait." Her voice suddenly turned into a whisper as she turned back to the boys, gesturing for everyone to freeze. "Hold on, I'll be right back."

"Sarah, no! No!"exclaimed Malcolm, eyes wide open upon seeing Sarah slowly approaching the herd of armored Stegosaurus as they foraged along the creek.

"She's gutty."commented Nick as they were all crouched down behind an old, moss covered log.

"She's nuts!"interjected the scientist, pinching the bridge of his nose, his voice barely above a whisper.

Gutty or nuts, the paleontologist crawled her way to a stand of ferns when a small head emerged from the greenery, peering at the human curiously. It was the baby Stegosaurus encountered earlier. Compared to its gargantuan parents, this dinosaur was rather small, about the size of a cow, and like a cow, it was munching and chewing on the nearby ferns and shrubs and showed no fear towards the human who took a snapshot from the borrowed camera.

"Sarah. Sarah!"whispered Malcolm as loud as he dared in hopes of getting Sarah's attention, raising an eyebrow upon seeing her approaching the young herbivore. "She's getting much too close,"

"What the hell is she doing?"questioned Nick out loud, equally puzzled. Eddie simply looked on blankly.

"Too close, too close."

The paleontologist then slowly, tentatively reached out to gently touch the baby dinosaur's snout before moving her hand along its scaly head, earning a snort. The Stegosaurus seemed to enjoy the human's touch as it rumbled a soft purr, its small eyes closed in bliss as it nudged her hand, as if asking for more. Sarah smiled as she continued to pet the animal, an animal whose family she previously knew only from the ancient rocks and bones of the fossil record, now in the flesh, living, breathing, and purring for all the world like a 2,000 pound kitten.

She continued petting the young Stegosaurus, whom the bone digger identified as a female, until she bellowed rather loudly before slowly lumbering off to join the rest of the herd. Sarah followed the baby closely until she was in a perfect position to photograph the nesting site straight ahead. _Perfect_ , she thought as she squeezed off picture after picture from this ideal vantage point behind the walking shield... when the camera's autowinder came to life with a piercing _WHIR!_ causing Sarah to look down upon the camera in horror.

The sudden noise startled the baby Stegosaurus who cried out in alarm as she bolted for the safety of the herd. The men's faces whiten in horror upon seeing the adult animals respond to the incoming threat. With a resounding roar, the youngster's mother burst out of the trees, plates bristling as she charged in Sarah's direction. The paleontologist tried to turn tail and run only to find herself completely surrounded by an entire herd of angry Stegosaurus, all stomping their feet, displaying their dorsal plates in a threatening manner.

Malcolm desperately made his way towards trumpeting pandemonium only to be held back by Nick. "Shoot 'em!"he shouted to Eddie who raised his rifle in readiness. The technician, however, was hesitant as he took aim, answering: "They're just protecting their baby!"

"So am I!"

Inside the circle of Stegosaurs, Sarah searched frantically for a way out, but all she could see were living walls of plates and hide. As the mother stood protectively between her baby and this strange intruder, the subadult male swung his tail straight at the human, two pairs of three foot spikes fully extended as they cut through the air. Sarah, however, managed to duck down, avoiding a deadly swipe that would have impaled her, before rolling out of the way, dodging another set of spears that buried themselves on the dirt where we stood. The paleontologist crawled away as quickly as she could before picking herself off the ground. The very ground began to shake, and as Sarah looked up, she saw the gigantic scarred individual, the alpha male, thundering his way towards her with surprising speed for his size.

Moved by adrenaline, the redhead ran into a hollowed-out log for cover.

From her place inside the log, the paleontologist peeked outside the wooded fortress to see the baby Stegosaurus being gently nuzzled by her mother. She smiled at this display of affection– before three massive tail spikes imbedded themselves into the log, stopping just inches from her face, earning a startled gasp from Sarah. Wriggling backwards toward the other opening, she could hear the alpha roaring as he struggled to free his tail. Hardly had she reached the exit when a gigantic paw crashed to the ground before her as the subadult began to crash against the log with all his weight, front paws pushing down with tremendous force, slowly reducing it to matchwood with each blow.

" _Sarah!_ "screamed the men, horrified upon seeing one of their team trapped inside the crumbling log by the two angry dinosaurs who were obviously not going to let up. Running out of alternatives, Sarah pulled something out of her pocket. Taking a deep breath, she blew into the object with everything she had, producing a shrill, eerie whistle that resonated within the hollow wooden fortress, amplifying the sound. The noise caused the two Stegosaurus to flinch back like two horses that stumbled upon a snake before they slowly backed off. The adult female immediately went on the defensive, eyes glancing in all directions, tail spikes held in readiness as she continued to guard her young.

From their place behind their hideout, the trio was also frightened into silence.

"What the hell was that?"asked Eddie, wide eyed. Nick didn't say a word, still shaken up by the mysterious sound that gave him the shivers. Malcolm, however, felt a cold chill crawl up his spine, having heard that call before, albeit not exactly remembering the source.

For a brief moment, the jungle was silent... until the silent spell was shattered by a series of squawks and bloodcurdling shrieks that seemed to come from all directions, followed by loud rustling among the dense undergrowth before six or seven slender, bipedal dinosaurs erupted out of the surrounding brush, racing swiftly into the clearing.

 _Velociraptors_ , Malcolm remembered with a chill crawling down his spine, heart pounding wildly in his chest.

"Oh my God!"hollered Nick and Eddie simultaneously as they huddled closer to one another upon seeing the terrifying thirteen-foot predators apparently springing into the attack. Luckily for them, the voracious predators seemed to have no interest in the spectating humans. A sudden disturbance caused the three men to turn behind them to behold three more raptors racing along the creek, charging straight at them!

While one had a natural colored orange hide, the other two were more peculiar, sporting blue and green colors. But that was the last thing on everyone's mind as the trio of humans ducked down as the three carnivorous dinosaurs leaped almost effortlessly over their heads.

"To the Sarah Rescue!"exclaimed a pair of male voices, much to everyone's surprise.

"What the hell?"mumbled Nick as they once again looked upon the once tranquil nest site, now a trumpeting, roaring pandemonium as the grown Stegosaurs halted their assault on the log, instinctively forming a protective rosette around the youngster while the pack of raptors circled the herd, hissing and nipping at their heels all the while dodging the lethal tail spikes. Something about those strange raptors caused Malcolm to look closer. Something very familiar.

Suddenly, to Nick and Eddie's utter amazement, the green raptor spoke in an authoritative voice to address his comrades, saying: "We gotta get these guys away from Sarah! Martin! You and Tiger Claw focus on the right flank. We'll take the left."

"You got it, dude!"replied the blue theropod with a nod and a salute with his right forearm.

"Amber! You and Malaika get Sarah out of that log!"

 ** _"Yes, Chris!"_** chirped said raptor with a nod.

"Okay, guys. Let's do this,"growled Chris, brown eyes narrowed in determination before they all exclaimed simultaneously: **_"With the Power of the Pack!"_**

Tiger Claw's screech echoed across the creek as he rallied the other raptors together. Under the green and blue raptors' instructions, the pack began to separate into two groups, and like a pack of wolves, each one took turns harassing the herd, making mock lunges and snapping their jaws as they trilled and screeched in a wild frenzy. These mock attacks had the desired effect as the Stegosaurs' panic began to skyrocket, now on the verge of breaking ranks.

"Sorry, Trident. Can I call you Trident? We just need to get our friend,"Martin told the alpha Stegosaurus before having to duck down to avoid a blow from his three tail spikes. "Whoah! Swing and a miss!"

"Hey! Over here, big guy!"shouted Chris as he was trying to divert the subadult's attention towards himself, all the while managing to avoid a tail swipe that would have taken his head. While all this was going on, Amber and another female Velociraptor made their way toward Sarah's hiding place. The paleontologist gave a surprised expression upon seeing a scaly head poke her head inside her wooded fortress but smiled upon recognizing who it was.

 ** _"Ready to come out?"_** asked the dinosaur playfully, tilting her head.

Malcolm's blood went cold upon seeing two of the predatory dinosaurs sneak past the thundering uproar, making their way to the collapsed log where Sarah had taken refuge, and just when things couldn't get any worse, one of them was sticking its head inside. "Shoot 'em!"he shouted to the armed technician, barely able to contain his panic as the trapped paleontologist was now at the raptors' mercy. For half a minute, Eddie was hesitant. Too long for the mathematician's liking. " _Goddammit! Shoot 'em!"_

Before Eddie could take a proper shot though, the gun barrel was pushed aside by a woman with blonde braided hair, a brim hat resting on top. "I wouldn't do that if I were you,"she said, looking Eddie dead in the eyes.

The team continued to watch as Chris leaped effortlessly into the air, easily hopping onto Trident's enormous back, causing the towering behemoth to bellow loudly, rearing back on his hind legs as he tried to throw off his unwanted burden, who was clinging tightly to his cracked plates. The great Stegosaurus' front paws then came back down to earth with a crash. "Whoah! I prefer to be stirred, not shaken!"exclaimed the green raptor as the impact almost caused him to jerk forward. Having had enough, Trident took off with a gallop, running right through the surrounding raptors who fell back, allowing the hulking goliath to pass through. The rest of the herd soon followed in a thundering stampede. Chris then took that as his cue to dismount, running along the Stegosaur's tail before being flung skywards with tremendous force. Chris flew through the air like a green arrow before performing several flips in mid air. He finished his stunt by landing on his feet in his signature pose.

"They're leaving... I–I think they're leaving."stammered Eddie, still not believing what he has seen before turning to the cameraman."Got all that on camera?" Nick nodded, mouth agape.

Sarah crawled free of the battered log, scrambling away on all fours as the Stegosaurus herd stampeded away, disappearing into the brush, moving surprisingly quickly for animals their size.

Once the herd was gone, the others, with Malcolm in the lead, ran up to Sarah as two raptors were assisting her back on her feet. **_"Are you alright?"_**

"Never better! Thanks, Amber,"she replied with a chuckle, patting the dinosaur's head.

"Mission accomplished!"cheered the Kratt Brothers as they arrived on the scene, now in their proper forms as they exchanged high fives. The paleontologist then made her way back to the fallen tree where the others were hidden. Martin and Chris soon followed.

"Thanks for the save, guys,"said Sarah once she regained her footing, addressing the two creature adventurers.

"Don't mention it, Sarah. We came just as soon as we heard that distress call,"replied Martin. It was then that the two creature adventurers realized that they had an audience.

The rest of the team scrambled over to the trio to exchange greetings. To their utmost relief, Sarah was miraculously unhurt.

"That was one hell of an entrance you guys made back there."remarked the photographer after exchanging a secret handshake with the two creature adventurers.

"Good to see you too, Nick!"exclaimed the two in unison before gliding over to Eddie.

"How's it going, Eddie?"greeted Chris.

"Apart from nearly having a heart attack just earlier, doing great!"

"Awesome! Aviva, Koki and Jimmy are gonna be _so_ happy to see you!"

"And I wonder what technical marvels they've cooked up this time,"

At this point the blonde outdoors-woman in the brim hat walked up to the group. "Oh. I'm sure you guys have already met Laura."said Martin, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulder before his brother added: "Wildlife ranger from Kenya."

"Radhi kufanya rafiki yako!"said Laura cheerfully in some foreign tongue as she shook hands with the technician.

"Say what?"asked a confused Eddie, raising an eyebrow.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance."she translated with a giggle. "Sorry; Swahili's my second language,"

She then turned to shake hands with Nick who visibly winced on contact. "Jambo, rafiki!"

"That's one strong handshake you got there, Mrs. Wilkinson,"he said, cradling his bruised hand.

"Asante, but please, just call me Laura,"

"Swahili, huh? Nice!" The cameraman beamed a smile. "I learned a thing or two from my time filming in Rwanda."

As the greetings, introductions and pleasantries were being exchanged, Malcolm stood off to the sidelines, lost in thought. But it wasn't long before he was startled out of his trance when–

 _"Dr. Malcolm!"_

The man in black felt himself being tackled as the two Kratt Brothers pulled him in a tight bear hug. Feeling awkward, Malcolm returned the embrace, albeit rather stiffly. Both Kratts were now talking a mile a minute of hellos, and what-brings-you-to-the-islands, and something about Chris losing a bet.

"Now pay up, dude."said the older Kratt, crossing his arms with a triumphant grin on his face.

"Hmph!" With a deadpan stare directed at Martin, the Kratt in green glumly dug into his pocket to withdraw a twenty dollar bill, passing it to his brother.

"What'd y'all bet on?"asked Nick with a mischievous smile at the bros' antics.

"Oh, Chris and I placed a wager on whether or not Dr. Malcolm would show up," Martin then cast a glance back at his brother, who simply pouted with his arms crossed, "and I won! Yeah!"here the Kratt in blue pumped a fist in the air as he laughed and cheered for himself, high-fiving Nick while Eddie and Laura looked on in amusement.

Malcolm had barely caught his breath from the Kratt Brothers' crushing embrace when without warning, Sarah dove on top of him, grabbed his head, and kissed him on the cheek, exhilarated.

"Isn't it great?"she laughed. "The gang's all here!" Malcolm wasn't amused. He then pulled out her satellite phone before showing it to her angrily.

"When it rings, you _answer_ it! I swear to God, you're just as crazy as–" His anger suddenly vanished as a scaly head came inches from his own, causing the mathematician to jolt back on his feet in fright.

 ** _"Greetings, friend!"_** said the Velociraptor, playfully nudging against Malcolm's chest. Needless to say, the human was too petrified to move a muscle at this exchange of affection and inwardly hoped that the scaly beast couldn't smell fear.

"I'm sure you remember Amber. Member of the team and animal ambassador."stated the Kratt in blue, affectionately patting the raptor's head. Said raptor's eyes were closed in bliss, purring for all the world like a gigantic scaly cat.

"Whoah! You guys weren't kidding!"interjected the cameraman with an incredulous laugh. "You actually have a motherflipping raptor on your team!"

"Wow,"breathed a wide eyed Eddie. "Just wow.."

Amber's attention soon fell upon Nick and Eddie who immediately tensed as the Velociraptor made her way toward them. Once she was close enough, the near six-foot carnivore gently poked her nose at them as she began sniffing their clothing, their faces that were now trickling with sweat to better familiarize herself with these strange new humans. Amber then rubbed her body against the pair, allowing her long tail to linger for a moment before the reptile suddenly wheeled back around to nuzzle the mens' faces, all the while chuffing. While Eddie stood stiffly behind him, Nick summoned enough courage to reach out an gently touch the dinosaur's scaly hide, which was surprisingly warm for a creature of reptilian origin. Amber purred upon contact, raising her head to allow the awestruck photographer to stroke under her chin. He smiled. The tech expert soon joined in, his initial fear gone, replaced by awe and fascination of what he once considered a bloodthirsty monster.

But this was no monster at all, but on the contrary, a creature. An intelligent and playful creature.

Then without warning, Amber knocked them off their feet before assaulting their faces with slobbery wet kisses.

"Ahhh! She's licking me to death! Make it stop!"screamed Eddie, laughing uncontrollably along with Nick. All the while, the sound of playful laughter rang out from the strange metal cap on the raptor's head.

Sarah, Laura and the Wild Kratts, who had been watching this scene unfold with ever growing grins, now burst out laughing upon the climax.

"She likes you!"exclaimed the paleontologist cheerfully.

 ** _"Yes I do!"_** chirped Amber playfully via Creature Thought Translator. Chris then decided to step in, gently pushing her off the fallen teammates.

"Easy, girl. I think they get the point."

 ** _"Okay Tokay!"_**

The Velociraptor nodded in understanding as she assisted Eddie and Nick back on their feet. Once they were standing, they looked upon the mathematician who stood stiffly, his eyes as wide as saucers.

"That wasn't so bad, huh Ian?"remarked Nick with a chuckle, placing a hand upon the man's shoulder. No response. "Ian?"

"Uh, Nick? We got more company..."came Eddie's rather fearful voice, hardly above a whisper. Just then, the photographer felt warm air crashing down his neck. Nick turned around, then wished he hadn't; he soon found himself face to face with the hard green eyes and scaly face of another Velociraptor much taller than Amber. Like the bubbly female, this raptor was clad in brilliant coat of orange, but the only thing setting him apart from Amber were the black brands and bars that decorated his body, resembling the stripes of a tiger.

" _Oh geez!"_ Nick jumped back, scared half out of his wits upon appearance of the new raptor that continued to look upon him and his teammates judgmatically, taking in their scents in deep snorts. Malcolm tried to back away slowly, only to come to a halt as another raptor cut off his retreat. The trio soon found themselves completely surrounded by half a dozen of the ferocious predators

If Malcolm wasn't scared before, he certainly was now.

Before Eddie could raise his rifle in readiness, Sarah, Laura, Amber and the Kratt Brothers all made their way into the ring of raptors. Amber chuffed quietly to the striped male who bobbed his head like a nod, and at a barking call from the latter, the others ceased their investigations and stood down. While the African ranger crossed her arms with a hard stare directed at the tech expert, who guiltily took that as his cue to lower his gun, Martin, Chris and Sarah decided it was time to start with a few introductions.

"Oh! Here's some other friends of ours we'd like y'all to meet: here's Slasher and Makucha," here Martin gestured to a pair of young males tussling and play fighting one another. Slasher, as the Kratt in blue pointed out, had reddish brown skin with dark stripes running along his back. He also bore a distinctive long, white scar on his muzzle, testament to rough play with his peers and his reputation as a fighter. Makucha, on the other hand, was clad in a coat of green and even darker markings on his hide. Another characteristic trait of the green raptor was a snaggletooth jutting from his lower lip. It was clear by the way the two interacted that they were close friends, if not best friends.

"Kipanga and Patchy, twin sisters," Chris introduced two females as they continued to eye the new arrivals curiously, all the while bobbing their heads like inquisitive birds. Patchy, true to her name, was easily distinguished from her sister by the distinct patches around her eyes. The masked dinosaur was also clad in a coat of tan.

"Patchy I get, but Kipanga?"asked Eddie.

"It means 'falcon',"answered the ranger, pointing out the theropod of yellow hide and brown markings, similar to that of her sister. "We call her that since she's got the eyes of a bird of prey. There's nothing that escapes her notice. We also have Malaika," this was directed to another young she-raptor, only with gray skin adorned with black spots. She gazed upon the strangers with bright blue eyes that were the color of a bright summer sky.

"Now this one's Clawjumper; she's a little shy."whispered the Kratt in green, gesturing to yet another female Velociraptor hidden behind her gray companion.

"Shy? A vicious, bloodthirsty Velociraptor is _shy_?"asked Malcolm incredulously, raising an eyebrow. With a confirming nod from the younger Kratt, the mathematician tried his hardest not to laugh.

Like Malaika, Clawjumper also had blue eyes. But the skin was where all similarities ended; instead of Malaika's silvery gray hide, the younger female had a snowy white coat with black stripes.

"She's beautiful."complimented the photographer who took several snapshots with his camera. "Is she an albino?"

"No, not really; it's a rare skin pigmentation. Kinda like a white tiger."replied Sarah coming from behind him.

"And last, but certainly not least,"announced Martin dramatically, extending his arms toward a young male of bright orange with black stripes, "we have Tiger Claw! Older brother of Slasher and Malaika,"

"The leader in stripes."added Chris.

"The eldest son of the alpha pair." This came from the paleontologist.

"Very fitting."mused Malcolm, immediately catching on to the name.

Nick reached out to touch Slasher only to jerk back with a startled yelp as the scarred male snapped his jaws, nearly biting off the cameraman's hand.

"Whoah! This guy's sure got a temper," he squeaked, wide eyed as Slasher glared at him, baring his razor sharp teeth with a growl of displeasure. Nearby, Makucha made a guttural warble that resembled a laugh. Sarah tried her hardest not to laugh before failing miserably.

"Is he mocking me?"asked the photographer indignantly. Makucha continued to laugh at the foolish human.

"Careful, guys. They're still wild animals."cautioned Chris seriously.

"Don't worry, Nick. It took Slash a while to warm up to us too,"reassured Martin, recalling those first few days of trying to earn the pack's trust.

"Wait a minute," said Malcolm in sudden realization. "So this guy here is the offspring of the head honcho, and the oldest of this whole bunch?" This was directed at Tiger Claw who seemed to be chastising his younger brother for his rudeness toward Nick with a sharp nip to the latter's neck. Slasher promptly bowed his head submissively, warbling an apology.

"When you put it _that_ way, yeah,"answered Martin with a chuckle.

"So that would mean that he and the rest of these fellas are only juveniles. Teenagers,"added Eddie, trying to make sense of things.

 ** _"Correct,"_** said Amber with a nod.

"Yup. Velociraptors reach their prime when they're about at least five years old,"informed Chris. His brother joined in, adding: "But even young raptors are a force to be reckoned with."

"Just ask that herd of Stegosaurus,"remarked the paleontologist.

"Then where are the adults?"asked Nick.

"They're probably back at the den looking after the infants."answered the ranger who was petting and fussing over Amber affectionately. Suddenly Martin snapped his fingers as an idea occurred to him.

"Hey, I got an idea! Why don't we take you guys to meet them!"

His younger brother liked this idea. "Yeah. Why not?"

 **"Oh absolutely!"** added Amber, wagging her tail.

Eddie and Nick exchanged glances before the photographer shrugged nonchalantly. "Might as well,"

Malcolm, however, was not so optimistic. "Whoa, whoa. Bad idea! You'd have to be completely insane if you're gonna go straight into the lion's den."

"Not if you're already an honorary member of the pack,"countered Chris calmly as he walked up to the alpha trio. "Let's ask, shall we?" He then pulled out a strange device that looked something like a satellite dish merged with a microphone. Needless to say, it drew attention from the three newcomers.

"What is that?"asked the technician curiously.

"Aviva's Dolphin Decoder."answered Martin. "It allows us to speak Dolphinese. Or in this case, Raptorese."

"Really?" The creature adventurer nodded.

"Alright, Dr. Doolittle. Let's give it a shot."said Nick.

Clearing his throat, the Kratt in green addressed the eldest and his sister. "Hey, Tiger Claw. Malaika. Would it be alright if our friends came to your pack's den? They would very much like to see them."

As he finished, the gadget in his hand produced several clicks, trills and rumbles that could only be made by a Velociraptor.

The two raptors exchanged glances as though considering the human's request. After what seemed like an eternity, the eldest voiced out their answer with several caws followed by a bobbing of his head as though he were nodding. His sister shrieked with obvious delight, wagging her tail a little. The twins, Clawjumper and Amber all took up the excited call upon hearing the leader's verdict while Slasher and Makucha simply shrugged, snorting and gruffly rumbling their approval, albeit reluctantly.

"Great! I'll tell them!"said Chris, beaming a bright smile as he turned back to his team. "Tiger Claw and Malaika say that they'd be more than happy to take us to meet them."

"Besides, the older raptors love us!"exclaimed the Kratt in blue enthusiastically.

"That's awesome!"said Nick as the tech expert looked on in awe.

"Let's hope they wanna _greet_ us, not eat us."mumbled Malcolm dryly, leaning against an unusual tree trunk along the edge of the forest. He certainly didn't look forward to the prospect of encountering more meat-eating dinosaurs, especially on their home turf.

"Oh don't worry,"replied Martin, completely oblivious to the scientist's sarcasm, "they've already eaten a big Maiasaura, and they won't have to hunt again for a few more da–" the older Kratt froze mid sentence, his eyes frozen upon Malcolm. The two creature adventurers exchanged slightly worrisome glances.

"Umm, Ian?"said Sarah nervously, earning a puzzled look from the man. She was very rarely ever nervous.

"You really don't want to be doing that,"added Chris cautiously as he and Martin backed away a few paces.

"Why not?"

No sooner had the mathematician finished his sentence when the tree trunk lifted right up off the ground, consequently causing Malcolm to lose his footing, falling unto the forest floor.

While the seven Velociraptors slowly retreated a good distance away, everyone else craned their heads skyward until all eyes fell upon a gigantic figure ambling among the trees. The animal was far larger than any elephant, supporting its massive bulk on four pillar-like legs, shaking the very earth with each step. The features that stood out the most were the giant's long, whiplike tail that lazily swished from side to side, and the elongated neck which made up half its total body length. Overall, this colossus was easily more than a hundred feet long.

"Holy cow,"said Eddie, once again feeling small for the second time that day. Correction: he was feeling minuscule.

"Whoah... a Brontosaurus,"whispered Nick in awe, swinging his video camera straight up as the enormous herbivore resumed to its usual business of eating, the long neck weaving between the trees to reach the tender ferns and horsetails jutting in between.

"Mamenchisaurus, actually."corrected Sarah. "Family Mamenchisauridae, clade Sauropoda. Herbivore from Late Jurassic China. Known for their exceptionally long necks, half the length of their bodies."

"Hevi kabisa, look at the size of him!"exclaimed Laura in wide eyed wonder. In all her years among wildlife, she had never seen anything quite like this. "He sure makes the bull elephants back in Africa look like hyraxes."

The group, scientists, photographers, raptors and creature adventurers alike, stared in awe and wonder as the Mamenchisaur stopped and trumpeted furtively, as though welcoming the newcomers to its world, the exceptionally long neck stretching out above them, browsing on the tender young leaves.

After a few moments, the Kratt Brothers burst into almost helpless laughter, soon joined by Sarah, Laura and Amber.

"Hellooooooo, Skyscraper!"exclaimed Martin, stretching his arms skyward toward the magnificent titan.

"Skyscraper?"asked the photographer incredulously, raising an eyebrow. Chris simply chuckled at his older brother's habit of naming creatures.

"Yeah, Skyscraper. With a neck so high it can touch the sky. Like a skyscraper."

"Well, I like it,"said the ranger who placed a hand on Martin's shoulder. Unbeknownst to her, this caused the Kratt in blue to quickly look down upon his feet, a blush adorning his features. His younger brother caught it though, and muffled a snicker behind his hands.

"This is amazing."breathed Eddie. Malcolm said not a word, while Nick continued to film, more than delighted to have so much photographic material in such a short period of time.

"Nick, Eddie,"said Chris rather dramatically as though he was rehearsing for a Shakespearean play. Martin soon joined in, wrapping an arm around Malcolm's shoulder. "My dear Dr. Malcolm,"

In unison, they finished: "Welcome to Isla Sorna."

 ** _**** Here it is, the part you've all been waiting for: Welcome to Site B y'all! The WK team and Hammond's research expedition are all together and we get to be even more acquainted with the first of hopefully, many new creature friends on the island. What can I say? The Kratt Bros are always making friends wherever they go.. I also took the liberty to use some Swahili names for three of the raptors:_**

 ** _Makucha= Claws_**

 ** _Malaika= Angel_**

 ** _Kipanga= Falcon_**

 ** _PSS, I've finally decided that Amber's VA should be Hynden Walch, it felt appropriate for her playful personally..._**

 ** _PSSS, sorry for the long wait, but rest assured, I will continue writing no matter how long it takes. Yeah, I hate it when people suddenly end really cool stories before they're finished and I have absolutely no intention of doing that. And contrary to what Dinoman567 might have said *gives pointed look* I did not forget about this chapter (I rarely forget..); it was supposed to be a surprise for later on. Thank you so much for your patience nonetheless.._**

 ** _Oh, and please don't forget to comment and review, but not just 'good job' or 'I like this' or something. Please be more descriptive and constructive in speaking your thoughts. Personally, it'll make uploading new chappies all the more worthwhile.._**


	5. Urgent Matters

After the encounter with the Stegosaurus herd and the Mamenchisaurus, Malcolm, Sarah, Nick, Eddie, Martin, Chris, Laura and Amber were all strolling along a wide sauropod trail in the forest, walking among towering redwood trees. The Kratt Brothers led the way alongside Tiger Claw and Amber, the three newcomers and the paleontologist brought up the center while the ranger guarded the rear, a wooden staff in hand. The other raptors followed not far behind.

"These images are incredible. Legendary."said Nick as he took pictures of the raptors against the natural scenery. The twins and Clawjumper came in full view to sniff the cameras curiously, much to the cameraman's delight, taking this chance to take closeup shots. "Guys shoot their whole lives and never get stuff half this good. You could give me the Pulitzer right now today please." Here, the photographer pulled out a cigarette, putting it in his mouth. "Competition's over, close the entries, I'd like to thank everybody who lost." Nick had almost had it lit when a flash of metallic gray zoomed past his face, severing the cigarette in half and causing him, Malcolm and Eddie to jump back in fright. Looking to his right, the startled photographer saw a wicked looking throwing axe imbedded in a nearby tree before looking for the culprit. He presently saw Laura staring hard in his direction, with another projectile held in readiness should the photographer pull out another stick.

"Mm-mm-mm..." she hummed sternly, wagging her free finger.

"Hey, don't light that! Dinosaurs can pick up scents from miles away. The last thing we wanna do is to frighten the pack."said Sarah, catching up to Nick, who continued to stare wide eyed at the ranger as she collected her axe, muttering something in her second language.

"Oh. Guess we forgot to mention that Laura's a good shot with Hunga Munga throwing axes,"

Nick was about to comment to that when he felt a soft nudge behind him. He looked to see Amber staring at him with a pleading look in her golden eyes.

 **"** _ **No smoking please. I do not like the smell of smoke."**_ she said.

"Alright, I get the memo."replied the photographer gently, putting away his packet of cigarettes as he patted her head. "Time for me to quit anyway,"

"So, how much further until he hit death row?"asked Malcolm sarcastically from his place in the back of the group, casting wary glances at his raptorial escorts.

"Oh lighten up, Ian."said Sarah. "I'm sure they're just as eager to meet you as you them. As it turns out, Velociraptors are shy and secretive animals. And very misunderstood. Kinda like wolves."

The mathematician wasn't swayed. "Yeah. Only difference is that wolves and humans had evolved side by side over the last hundreds of thousands of years and they have learned to fear us. Humans and raptors? They're separated by ummm... millions of years. So what's gonna stop them from tearing us to pieces?"

"Well, for starters, raptors are not the mindless killing machines some people think they are."said Chris. Even from their place in the lead, he and Martin had been listening long enough. "The Velociraptors back in Jurassic Park were the result of the stresses of a captive lifestyle and negative reinforcement."

"How raptors react to humans depends largely on their prior experience with people."added Martin. "Raptors lacking any negative experience of humans will show little fear of people."continued the younger Kratt.

"Like these guys?"asked Nick, gesturing to Kipanga and Patchy at play, chasing each other in and around the trees.

"You got it."answered Sarah, thumbs up in approval. "Being born and raised in the wild, and having no human contact."

"The adults were more skittish of us at first considering that we were the first people they've encountered in four years."said Chris, recalling those early days of encountering the pack. "And their previous experiences with people were not really the best,"

"Took some time, but we were able to gain their trust."added Martin. "Right, guys?"

At that moment, the young raptors darted past the human party, reaching the forest's edge.

"We're here!"hollered the Kratt Brothers simultaneously as they and Amber raced alongside the fast and agile carnivores.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here,"mumbled the mathematician half to himself as everyone else followed their saurian escorts.

Emerging from the forest's leafy veils, the team had entered a wide, sunlit clearing ringed by towering forest giants and lush ferns, both of which concealed a large, rocky cave within the foliage. Several boulders rested in the center of the glade, absorbing the sun's rays filtering down from the trees, and littered about on the forest floor were dry bones, some of which were riddled with bite marks, others broken into pieces.

"Nice place they got."remarked Nick, sightseeing around the lair while snapping photos.

"Yeah, at least for a temporary den sight."said Chris. "From what we've learned so far, raptors are usually nomadic hunters. They rarely stay in one place for very long. They're usually traveling within their territory, unless if they have–"

"Hey. Where is everybody?"asked Martin as he looked around the empty clearing.

"That's funny. They were just here a while ago."answered an equally puzzled Chris.

Suddenly a faint rustling was heard from the nearby ferns behind them. The Kratt Brothers exchanged knowing glances upon hearing that disturbance, both cracking smiles. They then motioned for the rest of the group to be silent.

"Well. I guess nobody's home."shrugged Martin, all smiles. The three other gentlemen looked on in confusion, whereas the paleontologist and the ranger exchanged knowing glances.

"Where could they have gone?"asked Chris, pretending to look in different directions as the ferns and bushes continued to rustle, this time much closer.

"Oh well! Since they're not here, looks like we have to get going then." The Kratt in blue had hardly finished that sentence when several figures sprang from the undergrowth, pouncing upon their 'unsuspecting' victims.

"No! They got us!" Martin playfully cried as he and Chris slumped to the ground, tackled by eight baby Velociraptors, each just a few weeks of age and no bigger than puppies.

"Goodbye, cruel world!"screamed the younger Kratt dramatically before he fell flat on his back, tongue sticking out, arms and legs splaying out as he played dead. But he was shortly revived as the infant raptors continued their onslaught, licking and nipping wherever they could, wagging their tails for all the world like little, scaly puppy dogs.

"No, stop it!"cried the Kratt in green, doubling over in laughter.

"You know that tickles!"chuckled his brother, holding one baby in his hands as it licked his face. Amber soon joined the fun, relentlessly licking and nuzzling her caretakers' faces, as well as barrel rolling on the forest floor beside them.

"Looks therapeutic."said Nick as he and Eddie cracked smiles at this joyful scene while Sarah and Laura muffled their giggles. Malcolm just stared blankly.

"Fruit cakes."he muttered, shaking his head.

Deciding that the younglings had had their fun, Malaika and the other female raptors gently nudged them away from the downed creature adventurers.

"Thanks girls."panted Martin as he and Chris rose back on their feet, both winded from laughing so hard.

Makucha and Slasher promptly took over for the Kratts, seating themselves on the ground as they patiently allowed the youngsters to crawl all over them as if they were stones, or to play with their swishing tails in the same manner a kitten would play with a piece of string. The green male even allowed the little snout of one individual to tap at his snaggletooth. The female raptors promptly joined the hatchlings in play as Tiger Claw oversaw everything from his place splayed out full length upon a convenient rock as he sunned himself, absentmindedly swaying his tail to keep out reach of the snapping jaws of a rambunctious infant.

"They're all so... peaceful."remarked Eddie, surprised by his own choice of words.

"One of the beauties of the creature world."said Laura rather philosophically, leaning on her staff. "Nature's not always red in tooth and claw. There are quiet moments, moments of peace between the battles. Wise men say that a lion's work hours are only when he's hungry; once he's satisfied, then predator and prey live peacefully together."

"And how can we expect any less from the prehistoric world?"added Sarah as she crouched down to pet one of the babies, who purred on contact before chewing on her fingers.

Chris then playfully elbowed his brother, saying: "Time to get back in with the pack." Both brothers then reached out to touch Amber while pressing the paw print button on their signature Creature Power vests.

"Activate!"

The others shielded their eyes as two bright lights flooded into the den, engulfing the pair until where Martin and Chris once stood, two more raptors, green and blue in color, went to join the pack.

"Whoah."murmured Nick, awed by the sudden transformation.

"I'll be damned."added Eddie.

The paleontologist and the African ranger beamed knowing smiles. If the mathematician was surprised or amazed, he didn't show it. As Martin and Amber engaged the energetic hatchlings in play, Chris ambled his way over to Tiger Claw. "So, where are all the adults, TC?"asked the green theropod.

As if to answer that question, the eldest arose to his feet before lifting his head high, uttering a barking call that echoed across the forest. The other juveniles took up the call, joined by Amber and the Raptor Brothers. Even the little infants tried to imitate their older siblings, producing short chirps and squeaks.

For a brief moment, the jungle was silent... until a chorus of bloodcurdling shrieks echoed somewhere among the trees, sending chills crawling up the newcomers' spines. Without further warning, more than half a dozen fast moving silhouettes darted out of the forest's green depths, revealing a squadron of adult Velociraptors, nine or ten in all, led by a scarred individual.

"The pack, they're back!"hollered the blue theropod with the same level of excitement as one would rejoice at the return of some old friends.

"With dinner!" Raptor Chris pointed to where the hatchlings all raced up to the grown raptors who had slabs of meat clenched in her jaws especially for them. Nuzzles and face rubbing were exchanged between the adolescents and their parents, especially among the females while the young males chest-butted their elders. The two Wild Kratts and the ranger looked upon the familiar scene with adoration, which was highly reminiscent of the clans of African wild dogs greeting their pups after the hunt. For Sarah, this was living proof of everything she believed for many years in her line of work. To the three newcomers, Dr. Malcolm especially, who were so used to the idea of carnivorous dinosaurs being mindless killing-machines, this was a new and alien sight to behold; the savage predators turned gentle parents.

Once the babies were greedily gobbling down the chunks of meat reserved for them alone, it didn't take very long for the adults to notice the unexpected guests in their midst. Almost before anyone could react, Malcolm, Nick and Eddie found themselves completely surrounded by a pack of hissing, snarling Velociraptors, all with their teeth bared, claws at the ready should these strange newcomers pose a threat to them or their young.

"Jesus Christ,"whispered the photographer, heart racing in terror.

"Sometimes, 'I told you so' just doesn't cut it."remarked Malcolm lightheartedly in spite of the perilous situation they found themselves in. From the outskirts of the raptorial ring, Sarah and Laura held back while the two Raptor Brothers pushed their way through the ranks to be close enough insure the safety of their teammates, yet far enough as not to interfere.

"Get down on your knees and bow. Show them that you're not a threat."advised the green raptor, voice barely above a whisper. "Be calm and submissive."

"Easy now, no sudden moves."whispered Martin who gestured with his clawed hands.

"Psst! And don't make eye contact!"warned Sarah.

After a moment of hesitation, the three slowly did as they were told, without making any sudden moves. The moment they touched the ground, they tightly shut their eyes, half expecting to feel razor sharp teeth and claws tear into their flesh. One by one, the trio forced them open. To their surprise, not a single dinosaur moved a step forward, some of them even tilting their scaly heads curiously.

But soon enough, the theropods all made way for one particular individual, the leader of the pack, who slowly walked forward, fixing the trio with a steely gaze. He greatly resembled an older version of Tiger Claw in his coloration and the dark stripes running along his back, the only thing setting him apart from his offspring being his left eye, which had a gray film over it while his right eye was green like his son's. His hide was also riddled with the battle scars that came about from a lifetime of hunting and fighting, the latter undoubtedly for leadership over his pack. His flanks and sides were marked with what seemed to be old bullet wounds.

Malcolm, Nick and Eddie all sat as still as stone under the dominant male's hard gaze. The carnivore's hot breath assaulted each of their faces as he sniffed deeply, taking in their scents. But the moment he got to Eddie, the Velociraptor's eyes widened as he jolted back, giving the tech expert a distrustful glare as deep growls rumbled from the back of his throat. This sudden action startled Eddie in turn as he pulled out his Linstradt rifle from over his shoulder, pointing it at the snarling theropod. But this only seemed to further anger the alpha as he screeched furiously, exposing his rows of sharp teeth. Behind him, the other grown raptors took up the angry chorus as they prepared to close in on the intruders, whom they now deemed hazardous.

"Put the gun away. You're making him nervous."warned the blue raptor.

"He's making _me_ nervous!"retorted a frightened Eddie quietly as the lead raptor continued to glare down on him, tail swishing, toe claws clicking on the ground, ready to pounce at any moment.

"Just do as he says!"whispered Malcolm sharply behind him.

"Dammit, just do it, Eddie!"added Nick before both he and the mathematician were silenced by the hissing of a nearby raptor. Eddie refused to yield.

"Put the gun down _now!_ "thundered everyone simultaneously.

Reluctantly, the petrified technician dropped his firearm. But the alpha wasn't satisfied; the fierce reptile pointed to the gun with his snout before he made a quick, sideways jerk with his head.

Seeing Eddie's puzzled expression, Chris translated. "He wants you to throw it away,"

"Are you kidding m–" Eddie was cut short by an elbow from Nick who nodded. Heaving a sigh, the tech expert once again took the Lindstradt rifle in his shaking hands, throwing it as far as he could into the nearby foliage. Upon seeing the thunder-stick fly into the ferns, the battle hardened dinosaur was able to lower his guard a little as his growls ceased. The other raptors seemed to be relaxing as well.

"See? We're friendly."chuckled Eddie while Nick gave an innocent smile. The alpha did not appear to be amused.

"Fruitcakes."murmured Malcolm, taking the dominant male's mistrustful stare as a bad sign.

At that point, the two Raptor Brothers slowly and cautiously approached the pack leader, bowing their heads submissively as they softly spoke to him in the raptorial tongue, made up of trills, rumbles and squawks followed by gestures and body posturing. They were also joined by Tiger Claw, Malaika and an older female who greatly resembled the gray sister, likely their mother. The dominant male appeared to be giving them his undivided attention. As this conversation continued, the crouching trio remained as they were, too nervous to move should the Velociraptors judge them and attack them. Compared to the juveniles, these adults seemed to be a much tougher crowd to please.

"I wonder what they're saying,"whispered the photographer to his comrades.

 _ **"Chris is telling Bwana Wa Kuwinda that Eddie's thunder-stick is only for self defense and that he meant no disrespect."**_ whispered a feminine robotic voice from behind. Looking over their shoulders, the men's eyes were greeted by the amber orbs of the Wild Kratts' raptor ambassador.

"Bwana Wa Kuwinda?"wondered Eddie out loud.

"Must be Swahili."muttered Malcolm.

"Hmm. If I remember my Swahili lessons correctly, it means 'Master Of The Hunt'."the cameraman guessed. He then chuckled as he added, "Real badass name if I heard one."

"Seems appropriate."mused the mathematician under his breath as Eddie nodded.

 _ **"Correct."**_ nodded Amber. _**"But we dub him Bwana for short."**_ Using her snout, she then pointed out the gray raptor at Bwana's side. _**"The female next to him is Zuri, the beta of the pack and his mate, the mother of Slasher, Malaika and Tiger Claw."**_

"What are they saying now?"asked the technician.

 _ **"They're saying that you only desire to learn the ways of the pack."**_

"Sounds about right,"whispered Nick.

After what felt like an eternity, conversation among the theropods ended as Martin and Chris took their leave to stand aside. Amber slowly backed away as Bwana Wa Kuwinda once again stood before the three newcomers, staring down upon them judgmatically, his face unreadable to the humans. A moment of silence... until the formidable hunter bobbed his head, giving off a gruff snort before he turned around, slowly walking away to rest under the shade of a convenient tree. As though by some silent command, the other Velociraptors dispersed, each to do their own thing, though a handful stayed behind to sniff and circle the trio to satisfy their curiosity.

Before too long, Malcolm, Eddie and Nick were approached by Sarah, Laura and the Kratt Brothers, who were still in their raptor forms. The teenage raptors soon joined in.

"You did it! You guys are in!"said Chris cheerfully as Martin beamed an infectious raptorial grin from his place at his brother's side, his thumb claws up in approval.

"D-does that mean–"stammered the tech expert, eyes never leaving one inquisitive individual who sniffed at his shirt collar.

"Mm-hmm."hummed Martin as he nodded. "You guys can get up now,"

"Welcome to the pack."confirmed the African ranger with a tip of her hat.

"Congratulations, boys."commended the paleontologist, now cradling a baby raptor in her arms.

As they rose back to their feet, the trio released breaths they didn't know they were holding.

"Now _that_ was a close one!"remarked Nick.

"No kidding!"panted Eddie who placed a hand on his rapidly beating heart. "I coulda sworn for a second or two, that I was gonna die from fright before that head honcho could even lay a claw on me!"

"If you ask me, meeting carnivorous dinosaurs is just the sort of thing one should only do _once_ in their entire–" but the mathematician found himself cut off by joyful raptorial squawks as Martin and Chris zipped right past him.

"C'mon! We'll show you around!"hollered Martin.

"And introduce you to everyone here!"added Chris.

 _ **"Let's go!"**_ giggled Amber, followed by the other young theropods. The rest of the team shrugged before they soon obliged, tagging along, moving right into the midst of the pack to be better acquainted with their strange new saurian neighbors.

Watching the party go, Malcolm heaved a sigh. These people were gonna be the death of him one of these days.

 _ ****** Two Hours Later...******_

"Well that was a rather interesting first day,"mused Eddie as they all walked along the forest trail. He and the rest of the team had left the raptor's den and were now heading to the Wild Kratts' home base just a mile off, the two Kratts in question, once again in human form, in the lead.

"Yeah, we filmed a herd of Stegosauruses before pissing them off, met a friendly gang of raptors and umm..." here the photographer turned to the dinosaur expert inquiringly, "a Mamenchisaurus?"

"Mm-hmm."replied Sarah. "You got it."

"And now we're one with the pack. All in just one day."

"Or maybe they just decided to give us the welcome wagon before they eat us. You know, like the guests of honor at the feast, that sort of thing," retorted the mathematician skeptically from his place by the back.

"Oh c'mon. I think you're overreacting just a teensy bit."retorted Martin with a chuckle as he rested his hand on Malcolm's right shoulder. "They really have no interest in eating anybody."

"Besides,"assured the younger Kratt, also placing a hand on the scientist's other shoulder. "They're just as scared of us as we are of them, and just so long as we don't harm or threaten them in any way, we'll get along just great."

Malcolm then cleared his throat. "Are you done?"

"Oh. Sorry!"came the simultaneous reply as both Kratt Brothers sheepishly retracted their arms off the scientist's shoulders, earning some muffled chuckles from the others.

Malcolm soon turned his attention to the newest member of the Wild Kratts team, whom he did not recognize. "So.. umm. Mrs. Wilkinson,"

"Call me Laura."

"So, Laura. What is it that you do over in Kenya?"

"I was a wildlife ranger for Tsavo East National Park, where I protected animals, rhinos and elephants especially, from poachers."she replied.

"You were?"

"I had an inescapable desire to see the rest of the world, a world much bigger than the African savannah, and after meeting Martin and Chris several months back, how could I say no? To not only be able to experience new places, but also meet more creatures I've never seen before and make more new friends is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I've been an official member of the Wild Kratts team ever since."

"How long have you been in Africa?"asked Nick who was just as curious as the mathematician.

"All my life."came the answer. "My father was a game warden and my mother a zoologist. So it was scarcely surprising that I was deeply fascinated by the African bush since I was a little girl, and I learned all I know about the bush from them and from my Uncle Muldoon."

That last statement seemed to cause the mathematician to freeze in sudden realization. "Wait a minute. Did you say that your uncle was Muldoon? As in _Robert_ Muldoon?"

"Mm-hmm."Laura nodded.

"Who's Muldoon?"asked Eddie and Nick simultaneously.

"Only the best game warden in all of Kenya. Maybe even all of Africa."answered Laura with pride, before she took on a distant look. "Though he left a few years back to work for some strange amusement park in Costa Rica. He never returned."

"And did you ever find out about what happened to him?"inquired the mathematician delicately, knowing all to well about the answer.

"We believed that he was involved in a work related accident, until the Wild Kratts team told us otherwise. And you."

Malcolm raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Me?"

"Your interview was not limited to only the United States, Dr. Malcolm; your message was heard from around the world, even in Africa."

"Well, it's good to know that the entire world thinks I'm insane,"he remarked sarcastically, remembering the backlash and the humiliation that followed his confession.

The ranger then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Surely the truth may sound outlandish and far fetched to some, but you told it anyway, even when the odds were stacked against you; you're an honorable man and that's something I find very admirable." She then gave the scientist a hearty punch on his shoulder.

"Ouch!" Malcolm shouted, rubbing his bruised shoulder. "That hurt."he whined. The ranger giggled, as did Sarah and the two creature adventurers.

"You big baby."The redhead playfully taunted. "That's just how she shows her affection." This smart remark earned the paleontologist a playful jab on her own shoulder. " _Oww!_ "

Nick then chose that moment to butt in. "I really hate to be the pain in the ass to ask this, but if it wasn't a work accident, then how _did_ your uncle die?"

"Nick!"scolded the paleontologist, thwacking the back of his head.

"Oww!"

Nick promptly felt a nudge on his side. He turned to the source to find Malcolm sending him a look of disapproval. Even _he_ wasn't that insensitive. A long pause. "Muldoon was killed by a gang of Velociraptors."answered the Kratt in blue quietly with a frown, head slightly bowed.

The tech expert and the photographer froze upon that chilling revelation. "Wait."said the puzzled technician. "Her uncle was killed by a raptor?"

"On this island?"asked Nick.

"No. It was a different one 80 miles north of here,"replied the mathematician. The creature adventurers nodded in confirmation. "Isla Nublar."

"It's a long story."added Chris.

"One full of mutilation and death might I add."said Malcolm grimly, earning an eye roll from his girlfriend.

"Oh, I think we definitely wanna hear it,"said the cameraman, eager to hear another horror story.

"Mm-hmm." Eddie nodded, although not as enthusiastically as Nick; he didn't seem to be overfond of horror stories. So Malcolm and the Kratt Brothers recounted their experiences from Isla Nublar all those years ago, leaving no detail untouched, of the discovery of the century, of close encounters with creatures that time had left behind, and the grisly tragedies that came as a result.

"So lemme get this straight: Hammond spent five years building an amusement park full of dinosaurs."inquired Eddie once they had finished their tale.

"Yup."answered the Kratt in green as he and Martin nodded.

"And everything started going south when the power went out, allowing the dinosaurs to run rampant and kill people."said the photographer, reviewing the facts and piecing the puzzle together.

"You got it,"replied Malcolm.

"Boy were we beyond lucky we got out of that jam in one piece,"remarked Chris before Martin added with a fist pump: "Thanks to our Dino Powers!" The pair then exchanged high fives.

In that moment, a certain young Velociraptor playfully pounced upon the unsuspecting Kratts from behind, causing them to crash onto their stomachs, laughing.

 _ **"Resistance is futile!"**_ Amber yelled playfully.

"And you also mentioned that Amber here was originally born in their lab and decided to followed you guys home."said Nick, gesturing to the dinosaur, now sitting upon her two 'victims'.

"Yup. She's been a part of the team ever since."replied Chris with a smile as the raptor licked his cheek while he was still immobilized.

"Thanks to her, we were able to learn a lot more about raptor behavior than we ever thought possible, and dispelled a ton of myths along the way."added the older Kratt, patting her head.

"We're also here to learn more about raptors in their natural habitat, so that when that day comes, Amber will be living free and in the wild."

"Now that's one hell of a story,"remarked the tech expert.

Nick heaved a sigh as he briefly looked up beyond the forest canopy, to the sky. "At least that Mr. Muldoon guy died as he lived. Being a total badass. Woulda liked to meet the guy."

"He was a good friend of ours." Martin said solemnly. Chris nodded, remembering all the times he, his brother and the game keeper stopped poachers together in the untamed wilds of the Dark Continent and shared many wild adventures.

"And you guys have no hard feelings against raptors after what they did?"Eddie asked.

The ranger shook her head. "I bear no grudge against Amber or her kind."–Here she stroked under the Velociraptor's chin– "It's like the old saying: 'sometimes you get the leopard, sometimes the leopard gets you.' And knowing my uncle, he would have preferred to go out with a bang."

"Besides, there are no bad guys in the creature world."said Chris almost philosophically, hand on his chin. "We still have a hard time understanding that sometimes, but that's just how nature works."

"Hold it. I get how Isla Nublar was built to be an amusement park full of dinosaurs, but what about this place?"

"The answers to those questions will be revealed once we get to our headquarters–"but the blonde ranger never got to finish when the two Kratts announced: "We're here!"

The team was momentarily blinded by the sun's rays as they left the leafy curtains of the jungle behind them. Adjusting to the light, the spectacle that greeted their eyes was wide open grassy glade completely devoid of trees. Parked in the center of the field was a gigantic, teal colored turtlelike vessel. The Tortuga HQ. Upon seeing the giant turtle ship, the new trio froze on the spot, mouths agape as they approached the strange vessel.

"Now _that's_ something you don't see everyday." Eddie remarked, completely awed. Nick and Malcolm exchanged glances before a wide grin formed on the former's features.

"This is so cool!"he said.

"I know, right?!"replied Sarah from his side, an excited grin on her face.

"Here we are! Home sweet home."heralded the Kratt in blue before he corrected: "Or umm.. home sweet turtle that is," Just then, a wide ramp lowered itself from the turtle's left side.

"Aviva! Koki! Jimmy! We're back!"called the two creature adventurers as they made their way up the ramp. The main opening soon parted, revealing the rest of the Wild Kratts team, with Aviva in the lead, undoubtedly expecting a certain Kratt in green as she raced up to his open arms. Still embracing his girlfriend, Chris laughed as he spun her around before locking his lips with hers. She was more than happy to oblige, returning the kiss. Soon, much to the pair's slight disappointment, the need for air forced them to part, but they still touched foreheads. For a moment, they were oblivious to either the fangirlish squeals of the girls or the mischievous claps and whistles from the guys (even Malcolm couldn't help but smirk..), their eyes solely focused on each other.

"Great to see you're still in one piece, Cariño."joked the inventor as she tapped his nose, earning an amused eye roll from the creature adventurer.

"Very funny, Aviva." Aviva giggled.

"How did it go?"

"Oh, you know, running with the pack, scared some Stegos. The usual. But look who we met in the woods!"

"We brought company!" Martin announced to the rest of the group. All eyes soon fell upon the three new arrivals standing at the edge of the ramp.

"Eddie!"gasped Aviva and Koki excitedly. Without further warning, the tech expert found himself enveloped in the arms of the two girls, squeezing the air out of him like an anaconda constricting his prey.

"It's so good to see you!"

"How ya been?"

"Umm.. ladies?"gagged Eddie from his place within the bearhug. "Choking, not breathing!"

The technical duo's eyes widened as they immediately released their hold. "Sorry,"they apologized sheepishly.

"My cracked ribs and I are happy to see you girls too."said the older technician as he caught his breath. "How are my star students doing?"

From the sidelines of the reunion, Nick shrugged as he feigned offense. "What? No hug for me?"

"Alright, Nick!" The Greenpeace photographer turned his attention to the new voice to find Jimmy Z approaching him. Nick smiled upon seeing his longtime friend.

"Whaddup, JZ?" he greeted as the two exchanged fist bumps and high fives.

"Here for another rematch of _Halo 3_?"challenged the redhead gamer with a smirk, joystick controller in hand.

"Oho, you're on! I'll take you on anywhere, anytime!"commented the cameraman with a smirk of his own before they stared at one another eye to eye competitively. The pair then burst into good natured laughs.

"How's it going, Eddmister?"said JZ, addressing the technician with a wave.

"It's going good, Jimmy Z." Eddie responded with a chuckle at his given nickname. The pizza eating pilot preceded to high five the technician.

From the sidelines, Malcolm looked on blankly as greetings were being exchanged among his team and the Wild Kratts crew. He had half expected a team made up of bunch of random strangers who were specialized in their particular fields. But the group here before him all seemed to be old friends and colleagues. _No wonder Hammond called all of these lunatics together_ , he thought before voicing out his thoughts.

"You all know each other?"

"Mm-hmm."nodded Koki.

"Eddie was our technology teacher back in college."said Aviva, smiling at the memories.

"And Nick here's my old community college buddy."commented Jimmy Z, his left arm draped over said old community college buddy's shoulder before the pair exchanged a fist bump.

Chris then motioned for everyone to come inside the Tortuga HQ with a wave of his right hand as his left was wrapped around Aviva's waist. "Come on in everybody!"

"We have so much to catch up on."chirped the inventor.

"I'll go prepare the snacks!"yelled Jimmy as he raced inside. A flash of orange followed the redhead into the kitchen in that instant.

 _ **"Oh boy oh boy, snacks!"**_

With that invitation, the three newcomers followed their hosts inside the terrapin vessel. It was only a matter of time before everyone entered the main room, a vast circular space decorated by various plants and full of state-of-the-art technology including a massive computer screen, a round teleporter, and a circular platform just to name a few.

"Wow."breathed Nick as he, Eddie and Malcolm took in their surroundings.

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing." added the old school tech expert, undoubtedly impressed with his students' handiwork. His was the pride of a teacher surpassed by his pupils, and in a technological sense, he was like a child in a candy shop.

"Pretty impressive."commented the mathematician, looking around the HQ's interior. _Boy, Kelly would be so psyched if she were here_ , he thought. Tuning out of his thoughts, he presently heard conversation exchanged between the two inventors.

"So did you really make this headpiece?"Eddie inquired as he patted Amber's head, particularly where the flat, gray mechanical pad rested at the crown. The Velociraptor in question was seated on a specially designed pet bed, her elongated tail wagging side to side.

"Mm-hmm." Aviva nodded with pride. "I made it for Amber as a Hatch-day present the first year she was with us. I call it the Creature Thought Translator."

"Hatch-day?"

"Kinda like her birthday."

 _ **"Aviva made me this hat so that I may talk– GECKO!"**_ Here the raptor's head suddenly darted towards the glass sunroof where her sharp eyes caught sight of a colorful Tokay gecko crawling along the glass. Five seconds passed before she turned her attention back to the inventors. _**"Aviva is good and smart."**_

"Aww. Thanks, sweetie."cooed the inventor as she scratched behind the theropod's ear slits. As Amber purred in bliss, Aviva once again addressed the older technician. "The CTT has been modified to read the brainwaves of the animal who wears it. See, the brainwaves are then transmitted here; the monitor then translates the thoughts into English using the digital voice."

To say that Eddie was amazed would be a great understatement. "Incredible. How long did it take to develop?"

"About nine months, three weeks, and two hours by my calculations,"

"Cool."said Nick, darting in. "What does this button do?"

Before Aviva could answer, the photographer was already playing and experimenting with the button, flickering it like a radio, much to Amber's slight displeasure as she cast him a blank stare, orange skin slowly turning several shades darker.

 _ **"Please do not touch – no es un juguete– I use this 'ere hat– kore wa kimitsu kikidesu–"**_ Nick's merriment soon came to an end when the annoyed raptor nudged his hand away. _**"I would be most happy if you stop."**_

"So _that's_ what it does. Sorry, Amber."said the cameraman apologetically upon seeing the slight deadpanned stares of the inventors and dinosaur who turned bright red in warning. Needless to say, his curiosity was now satisfied.

Eventually, Jimmy walked out of the kitchen with a plate full of freshly baked brownies for everyone. After a half hour of snacks, FAQs and idle chitchat, everyone was seated around the circular round table, giving the Kratt Brothers their undivided attention as they stood before the main computer panel. Seeing all eyes on him and his brother, Chris began:

"We wanna thank you all for coming. It really means a lot. But I'm afraid that we didn't call you here for just a little reunion. We have some very serious matters in our hands."

"I'll say."retorted Malcolm. "When we got that SOS message, we were thinking something happened to you or to Sarah. But seeing that you guys are fine... well, relatively speaking, this seems to have been a waste of our time."

"Ian!"scolded Sarah, her voice barely above a whisper as she lightly thwacked the back of his head.

"We _are_ fine, but the island won't be for very long."said the Kratt in green.

"What're you– what're you talking about?" Now the mathematician was puzzled.

"Now, let's talk turkey here." Hardly had Chris finished that sentence when– "Gobblegobblegobble! Gobblegobblegobble!" Martin did his best turkey impression before he clutched his stomach, laughing to his heart's content. But his laughing fit was short lived upon seeing the blank stares of the team and the deadpan look given by Chris who folded his arms.

"What? That's a joke. I do that." Only Sarah, Amber and Laura giggled, the latter causing the older Kratt's cheeks to flush. Clearing his throat, Martin regained his composure. "All jokes aside, this is a dire creature emergency. We've received secret intel from Wild Kratts kids Lex and Tim that InGen is now accelerating their plans to come down here and ransack the island."

The younger Kratt continued gravely: "To make matters worse, Koki has recently intercepted a message from Ludlow, confirming that he has established a partnership with Donita, Zach, and Gourmand."

Upon mention of the new head of InGen, the mathematician could hardly suppress a scowl before raising an eyebrow in confusion at the three unfamiliar names. Looking around at the others, he could tell that they were just as confused. "Who are _they_?"

"They're a trio of baddies who you don't wanna know."answered Koki from her place by the database. Several professional keystrokes later, three separate files appeared on the main screen, all labeled _**Villains**_. The computer whizz clicked on the first profile, revealing a middle aged woman who had maroon hair and golden eyes that rested on a face covered in makeup. Lots of makeup.

"There's Donita Donata. A.k.a Madam Crazy Clothes."stated Martin. "Turns animals into living fashion accessories, courtesy of her pose beams which put creatures in suspended animation."

"Cruella De Vil much?"remarked the mathematician half to himself. Nick and Sarah, however, caught onto his reference and snorted in laughter while Martin tried his hardest not to laugh himself. Fortunately he was able to regain control upon receiving an elbow from his brother. The moment the photographer caught his breath, his eyes were then drawn to a photograph of a muscular blonde man next to the infamous fashionista.

"Wait. Who's blondie over there?"

"That's Dabio. Donita's brawny henchman,"answered Chris.

"Who's all brawn and no brain."remarked the Tortuga technician. "He fails at even the simplest of tasks."

The next profile uploaded was that of a burly looking chef with an outrageously bulbous nose.

"Gaston Gourmand. Illegal endangered species chef."

"Try fat overgrown bastard,"snarked Nick, earning a snicker from the paleontologist.

Closing Gourmand's tabs, Koki directed the mouse to click on the last profile which, unlike the others, was labeled in bold warning signs. It opened to reveal a pale, scrawny man dressed in black from head to toe.

"And lastly, we have Zach Varmitech. The robotics inventor who doesn't like animals."concluded the Kratt in blue, blue eyes narrowed.

"And a major thorn on our side,"hissed Aviva.

From her place on her mat, Amber's scaly hide flushed brilliant bright red as she narrowed her eyes in a glare, deep growls rumbling from her throat.

"Looks like a member of the Adams family."remarked Nick before turning to the mathematician."Are you by any chance related to this guy? You both seem to have a thing for black."At this both Kratt Brothers broke into laughter, promptly joined by the others. Even Amber gurgled a guttural raptorial laugh. Malcolm only cocked a questioning eye.

"Hold on, I remember that guy."said the seasoned tech expert, recognizing the pale face and haughty look. "He was another one of my tech students. Seemed very promising at first, but that oversized ego of his was always driving me crazy. And although I've never been acquainted with that Gourmand guy or Donita lady, I can already see that they're both bad news."

"What are they planning to do here?"asked Nick.

A long pause. Glances were exchanged between the members of the Wild Kratts team before Chris finally stepped up. Aviva's hand grasped his own hand in a comforting squeeze. He smiled at the gesture as he brought the hand to his lips. The Kratt in green heaved a deep sigh as he began, but not before feeling Martin's hand upon his right shoulder as his brother cast him a reassuring smile.

"InGen had been on the brink of Chapter 11 ever since the accident in Jurassic Park, and there were those in the company who wanted to exploit Site B's resources to break them out of bankruptcy, most likely another amusement park or something.

"They've actually been planning it for years. Mr. Hammond had been able able to stop them up until now. But a few weeks ago, a British family on a yacht cruise had somehow stumbled upon the island, and their eight-year old daughter was attacked. Exact identity of the perpetrator unknown. She's fine, but the board had used the incident to take control of InGen from Hammond. And– they thought that they were better off without us. And just like that, they ended our funding."

"They let you guys go?" A nod answered Malcolm's question.

"Yeah, that and we may have violated a couple of contracts and broke a few rules,"said the Kratt in blue, rubbing the back of his head, "especially in telling about Amber to the rest of the world."

"The point still stands. We no longer have their support."the younger Kratt stated. "And now it's only a matter of time before this lost world is found and pillaged."

"So that's how old man Hammond turned from capitalist to naturalist in only four years."murmured Malcolm half to himself. "That's something."

For the longest time, not a word was said. "So any idea as to when these three hoodlums will show up here?" asked the cameraman, folding his arms, glaring up at the computer panel of baddies; he disliked these characters already.

"That's the problem, Nick: we have absolutely no idea _when_ they'll come."replied Martin worriedly.

"And we're really unsure in the slightest about what they're all up to as we speak."added Aviva, shrugging slightly. "Whatever it is, InGen won't tell us."

"Whatever it is, it can't be good."said Laura darkly, blue eyes as hard as ice, her hand clenched on one of her antlered throwing axes as she set the blade on the table. The three newcomers wisely inched away in a cold sweat as soon as their eyes spotted the projectile weapon.

"Remind me never to piss her off."whispered Nick. Malcolm and Eddie nodded in mutual agreement.

"But whenever they come, one thing's for certain:"stated Chris with a voice of determination, "we'll have to put our research expedition on hold and start Operation: Save Isla Sorna."

"Then it's a good thing we came prepared,"announced the Greenpeace photographer, rising from his seat. "Hammond told me that those people might show up. I figured we'd be done by the time they got started. But in case they weren't, he did send a backup plan."

"What backup plan?"wondered Sarah.

In answer, he pulled out a power wrench from his pack. "Me."

"I might also have some equipment back in our base camp."the field technician piped up. "Not much due to some inconvenient timing, but I believe it could be beneficial."

"No worries, Eddie. Every little bit helps."reassured Koki.

Aviva added, "Sorry about that. We'll figure something out about the rest of the equipment eventually."

"Awesome. We'll need all the help we can get."stated Chris with a confident smile.

"Are you with us, guys?!"shouted Martin cheerfully, pumping a fist upwards.

The answers were almost instantaneous.

"Ndiyo." Laura nodded with a tip of her hat.

"Did you have to ask? Count me in!"exclaimed Nick excitedly as he slammed his fist onto the table. "I'm down if you're down!"

Eddie shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

"You bet!"answered Sarah cheerfully.

Malcolm was lost in thought before he felt the weight of ten sets of eyes (Amber included..) awaiting his answer.

"What do you say, Ian?"asked Chris.

A long pause.

"Thanks but no thanks."he finally answered. "This umm.. this isn't my fight. In fact, the only reason I'm here is to get you all outta this godforsaken place."

"What?"exclaimed Eddie in disbelief.

"You can't be serious."said Nick. From behind, the mathematician could also see the deflated looks of the Wild Kratts team, especially the bros.

"Any of you wanna join me, now's your last chance. If you're staying, I'd be more than happy to deliver a letter to your wives or loved ones. Give you a chance to say goodbye to them." Malcolm sarcastically said, but with a slight hint of fear in his voice.

"Whoah, whoah. Back up." The next thing he knew, the mathematician was now starring eye to eye with Koki's hardened brown ones. "Dr. Malcolm, have you forgotten who it was who spoke out on your behalf back in that studio?"

Upon mention of the studio, the mathematician instantly remembered the day he unveiled Jurassic Park to the world. In the midst of the public outcries and criticism (not to mention the never ending questions from the press..), the Kratt Brothers literally came crashing in unannounced and uninvited, accompanied by their raptor friend to prove the truth to his claims.

"Who helped to clear your name when no one else believed you, and now you're walking out on us? I don't think so. Not right now!"

Aviva quickly interceded before her friend could build up more steam. "Okay. Thank you, Koki. I will take over. What I believe Koki's trying to say is that we helped you in your hour of need."

The two creature adventurers joined in, with Martin saying: "Now we need _you_ to return the favor and help us."

"Every creature, every living thing that lives on this island, is in grave danger."added Chris seriously. "And if we are to ensure this island's continued existence, we need public opinion and a complete record of those animals living free and in the wild."

Another long pause.

"Hmm. No. Don't get me wrong; I appreciate everything you guys have done, but umm.. no. This whole research expedition thing? Bupkis. A scientific impossibility. Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle; whatever you study, you also change."

"You know what? I'll risk it." the redheaded paleontologist butted in with a bored tone. "I'm sick of scratching around in rock and bone and making guesses, deductions about the nurturing habits of animals that have been dead for sixty-five million years. Right or wrong, we're ridiculed because we can't prove anything, we can only make assumptions based on how modern day animals behave. It's frustrating, man. Then you show up and fill my head with stories for four years–"

"Stories of mutilation and death! Weren't you paying attention?"

"Oh please, we're not a bunch of wide-eyed grad students,"

"Besides, we've worked around predators for many years."interjected the Kratt in green reassuringly. "We'll be just fine."

"Yeah. The list is endless!"exclaimed Martin before he began to count off each one with his fingers. "Lions, hyenas, jackals, crocodiles, dholes, Komodo dragons, leopards, Tasmanian devils, cheetahs, tigers, wolves, bears, mouse lemurs–"

"You."finished the paleontologist, causing the Wild Kratts team to roar in laughter. Malcolm rolled his eyes, unamused.

"These are nothing like the animals you've encountered on your adventures."he reasoned.

This did not seem to dissuade them in the least. "They're obsessively territorial, and those territories are all in the interior of the island."stated the Kratt in blue, pulling up a map of the island with his Creaturepod.

"The only other place they'll hunt is along the game trails."added Chris, pointing out said places. "If we stay on the outer rim and off the game trails, we'll be fi–"

"They go wherever there's food! They have legs, you know, and on these legs they're known to walk."Malcolm retorted sarcastically, frantically gesturing with his hands.

"Could you make that a little more condescending?"deadpanned the paleontologist.

"Even run, on occasion."

"You know, I'm not sure I can listen to you right now without wanting to hit you."

"Hit me on the way home. I'm taking you out of here."

"Hey."this time Sarah was angry, eyes as hard as jade. "What is this? I've barely heard from you for three weeks, now you charge in here on a white horse– you don't usually care what continent I'm on. What do you think you're doing?"

"You are deeply disturbed. Someone who loves you travels five thousand miles to tell you your life is in danger and you're actually suspicious."

"Awwww!"cooed Koki, Aviva, and Laura in the background. The other guys simply rolled their eyes in amusement, except for the Kratt Bros who exchanged glances as they muffling their chuckles.

A hint of red adorned Sarah's cheeks. "You love me?"

"You don't have any money, there must be some reason I'm hanging around."he replied with a shrug.

"Why didn't you ever say so, dunderhead?" She then preceded to playfully ruffle his dark hair.

"I did. In the hospital. In Costa Rica."

"You were on painkillers. You said it to the anesthesiologist."

Malcolm's face reddened in embarrassment as laughter from everyone echoed across the walls of the Tortuga HQ. _They're definitely not gonna let me live this one down_ , he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, I–I meant it for you. Sarah, please. You've seen the place, you've drawn your conclusions, now let's go."

Touched as she was at her paranoid boyfriend's confession, the redhead was far from swayed. "We've barely just scratched the surface. We're trying to change a hundred years of entrenched dogma. Dinosaurs were characterized very early on as vicious lizards."

"Creatures that lived and died under the law of fang and claw,"added Martin rather dramatically with a flashlight.

"Guided by instinct; unthinking, unfeeling, cold-blooded beasts who lived in a world of unimaginable violence,"chimed Chris in the same tone.

"Come to think of it, they're actually not far from the truth."retorted the mathematician thoughtfully.

Sarah went on. "There's a great deal of resistance to the idea of them being nurturing parents. Robert Burke calls T-rex a rogue who would abandoned its young at the earliest opportunity. I know we can prove otherwise."

"Look. The point still stands: I'm not letting you go on some suicide mission with,"here the mathematician spared the two creature adventurers a blank stare, "a bunch of looney–"

"Uh-oh!"cried the Tortuga computer whizz.

"What's wrong, Koki?"asked Aviva. Everyone's eyes were now on the technician who picked up troubling signs from the database, which revealed a GPS image of a northern section of the island.

"I'm picking up a potential forest fire several miles away along the northeastern coast–"

"Our base camp!"cried Eddie.

 _ ****** Man, this has gotta be my longest chapter ever written so far! While not exactly action packed, there's just so much to feature; meeting the entire pack of wild Velociraptors, once again seeing the Wild Kratts team, and establishing what's on stake with this creature mission...**_

 _ **BTW, the new Jurassic World trailer, TOTALLY INSANE! IT'S OVER 9,000! I'm just dying to see it!**_

 _ **Stay tuned for more updates, and don't forget to comment!**_


	6. Round-Up

Upon hearing of the potential crisis, Malcolm, Nick, Eddie, Sarah and the Kratt Brothers all raced as fast as they could to the newcomers' base, following Amber as her sensitive nose led the way. After their arduous trek through the forest, they bursted out of the trees and entered into the established home base that was situated at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea.

 _ **"There!"**_ The Velociraptor's alert brought everyone's attention to the middle of the base camp, between the camouflaged jeeps and the trailer, sat, to everyone's relief, a neatly built campfire surrounded by stones. Nick grabbed a nearby jug of water to put out the flames, but Sarah stepped in to intervene.

"No! Water makes the smoke billow, use dirt."

Eddie and the Kratt Brothers joined in as they kicked and raked dirt onto the fire with their hands and feet, dousing out the flames. Even Amber lent her support, using her clawed hands to rake up dirt into the dying embers.

"Who started the fire?"asked a bewildered Malcolm.

Just then, the trailer door opened, revealing none other than Kelly with a tray of graham crackers and marshmallows in hand.

"Ummm.. surprise?"she squeaked sheepishly.

The whole group stared blankly, stunned, but none more so than Malcolm himself. He looked at Kelly, then at the trailer door hanging open, then back at the girl as he pieced together how she managed to sneak here right under their noses. The silent spell was soon broken by–

"Kelly!"exclaimed Martin and Chris excitedly as they raced to greet one of their Wild Kratts kids. Upon seeing her role models, Kelly's shyness quickly turned into excitement as greetings were exchanged. Needless to say, the trio's merriment was brought to an end upon seeing the mathematician's stern gaze.

 _ ****** A Few Minutes Later...******_

Several minutes later, and the cliffside camp was a blur of activity as Sarah, Eddie, and Nick were hard at work burying the remains of the fire, sealing any food in plastic bags, and loading camera equipment and other essentials inside the jeeps before reestablishing base camp by the Tortuga HQ. Martin and Chris also lent a few extra hands, aiding them in packing while Amber looked curiously around the camp, investigating every little thing that caught her attention.

While all this was going on, Malcolm was busy lecturing Kelly who was sitting up on the hood of the other vehicle.

"You practically told me to come here!"said the twelve-year old.

"I–I what?"Malcolm asked incredulously.

"You said 'don't listen to me.' I thought you were trying to tell me something."

"Oh, Kelly, Kelly! You knew exactly what I was talking about! You have no idea what is going on this island, of what danger you put yourself in!"

Sarah chose that moment to butt in. "What do you want to do, lock her up for curiosity? Where do you think she gets it?"

"Thank you, Sarah."said the girl gratefully.

Malcolm was not amused. "Hey! No, don't start the teaming up thing about this!" The paleontologist raised a hand to object when–"Out of the conversation! Please, really. That goes for you two as well." This was directed at the Kratt Brothers who immediately froze in place. "Eddie!"

"What?!"yelled Eddie in annoyance, not wanting any part in the quarrel.

"Why in the hell doesn't this thing ever work?"asked the agitated scientist in regards to the satellite phone clenched in his grasp.

"You know, it's not a land line."replied the tech expert. "Your not in a phone booth! You've got to wait for a decent signal!" This only seemed to further anger the mathematician who began to bang the phone against the car. "Violence and technology: _Not_ good bedfellows!"

"Y'know, Koki and Aviva would be more than happy to make upgrades on that phone."said Chris with a nervous chuckle as Martin kept to the sidelines, whistling idly as he took in the scenery around him.

"Nice place you guys got here."he commented. " _Love_ the trailer by the way,"

Eddie smiled. _Finally! Somebody who can appreciate good field equipment,_ he thought gratefully. "Thanks, Martin."he replied.

"Is that a shark proof cage?"asked the younger Kratt, pointing out to a black cage sitting close by.

"Hammond never told us we'd be doing underwater adventures!"exclaimed the older Kratt excitedly, almost hyperventilating, since he was more at home in the water compared to his more arboreal brother.

The tech expert chuckled at the bros' enthusiasm. "Oh no fellas, it's a high hide. We designed it to observe the animals from an unseen vantage point in the trees. Keeps the researchers out of harm's way."

"If you need somewhere to put it, we'd be more than happy to show you a few places."chimed Chris, happy to have an arboreal platform for future use.

"Like over there in the middle of those Cyatheoides."said Sarah, pointing to a stand of towering tree ferns growing along the forest's edge. "They've got a heavy scent, and animals know they're toxic, they won't even look at 'em. How tall is it?"

"Fifteen, twenty feet."answered the technician.

Sarah visibly shuddered. "Wouldn't get me up there in a million years. With all due respect, you can't really do this kind of work in a tower anyway, you have to be out in the field, as close to the animals as possible."

"Yup. It's all part of the Wild Kratts Creature Adventuring Code Of Conduct!"said Chris cheerfully.

"We gotta be up close and personal to add animals to our creature life list."added Martin.

"Great idea! Why don't you smother yourselves in sheep's blood while you're at it?" countered Malcolm sarcastically. To Eddie, he asked: "I assume the radio in the trailer might work?"

"After a short warmup, yeah. We've got a lot of heavy marching ahead of us."said Eddie, now packed up and ready for the trek back to the Tortuga HQ. "And I'm not carrying anybody."

"I can keep up."interjected Kelly, all geared up for the hiking ahead. Sarah and the Kratt Brothers smiled at her enthusiasm.

Her father, however, was not on board with that idea. "You're going home, young lady. I'm sending a radio call for the boats. We'll all go down to the lagoon and wait for them."

"Aww Lighten up Ian, you sound like a high school vice-principal or something."joked the older Kratt, causing Chris and Sarah to chuckle. Amber only tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm her father." Malcolm deadpanned.

Waiting by the jeeps, Nick leaned over and whispered to Eddie, gesturing to Malcolm and Kelly. "Do you see _any_ family resemblance here?" The tech expert only shrugged.

"You can't stay, Kelly, that's it. It's too dangerous."

At this point, the Kratt Brothers decided to step in.

"Don't worry about it, Ian. She'll be safe with us. Wild Kratt's honor."pledged the Kratt in green earnestly as his brother gave two thumbs up, a wide grin upon his nodding head.

Malcolm rolled his eyes a little as he seemed to ponder over that idea. "Alright. I'll think about it."

Upon hearing that, the two creature adventurers exchanged fist bumps. "Yes!"

"Not gonna happen."

Kelly was about to protest when she felt a soft nudge behind her. The twelve-year old turned her head where she was greeted by Amber's golden eyes.

 _ **"Hi!"**_ said the Velociraptor as she playfully nudged Kelly once more, warbling a friendly chuff, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Hey, Amber."she replied, patting the carnivore's snout without hesitation. The raptor in question purred blissfully as she wagged her tail.

This action did not sit too well with Malcolm, who saw his daughter inviting a potentially dangerous situation. "Oh no you don't. Get away from her! _Shoo!_ Kelly, stay back!"

Amber jumped back upon the mathematician's warnings and sharp gestures. _**"Oh no. Did I do something wrong?"**_ she asked innocently, lowering herself submissively, casting him the apologetic look of a dog who had unknowingly displeased his master and begged for forgiveness.

"Ian!"interjected Martin scoldingly. "You just hurt Amber's feelings!"

"She's harmless."added Chris who moved in to comfort the young theropod. "Besides, Amber loves kids,"

"You're wrong, Dad."stated the twelve-year old boldly. "I _do_ know what's going on this island."

"How could you possibly?"

"Because you said so. All those stories you told me.!Maybe nobody else believed you, but I always did. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Martin and Chris were telling the truth about their adventures on that other island,"

For a moment, the raging fire within Malcolm died down as he looked at his daughter, visibly touched.

"The kid scores with cheap sentiment."the cameraman muttered to his tech savvy companion as the paleontologist and creature adventurers looked on with smiles.

From the sidelines, Amber raised her head as her finely tuned earholes picked up a faint disturbance beyond the ocean.

 _ **"What is that sound?"**_

A low sound had been gradually rising while the team bickered and now it came booming over the jungle around them, a thunderous racket that shook the very ground beneath them. Suddenly, dozens of military helicopters roared overhead, flying very low as they made their way to the heart of the island. The choppers were enormous, some dangling huge cargo containers under them, others heavily armored vehicles. Three other aircrafts accompanied the squadron of choppers, aircrafts that the Kratts recognized all too well: a luxurious pink jet; a robustly built gray cargo plane; and a white, square-shaped airplane riddled with dirt stains, that left a trail of smoke and smog in its wake.

"Oh no," murmured the bros, eyes widened in dread. Their worst fears had been realized.

 _ ****** Elsewhere On The Island...*****_ *

Huge steel containers are dropped onto the undefiled ground, snapping off trees like matchsticks, crushing flat anything foolish enough to exist where they wanted to land as the helicopters slowly descended down to earth, releasing droves of men and vehicles. The mammoth cargo plane opened its door with a _CLANG!_ upon landing, releasing jeeps whose engines roared to life in a cloud of thick black diesel smoke, red laser barriers sizzled and burned through foliage as this group of hunters established a perimeter around their new camp. And with the vehicles came twenty or more hovering machines, unblinking eyes glowing red. Zachbots.

Overseeing all the preparations was none other than Peter Ludlow, dressed in brand new Banana Republic safari wear. The new CEO of InGen stepped into the center of the newly forming camp, surveying the surroundings. Behind him, he could hear Zach Varmitech barking orders to his mechanical minions. To his left, he heard Donita Donata instructing a battalion of floating fashion mannequins.

"Mannequins! Get out there and collect all the small, feathered dinosaurs you can find!"

Gourmand promptly passed the businessman, kitchen utensils and gadgets fully loaded as he sang to himself rather loudly and off key. " _Poached, roasted or barbecued, rare endangered animals make the best fooood!_ Let the egg collection begin!"

Satisfied that everything was going according to plan, he turned to a rugged, pony-tailed man in wire-rimmed glasses adorned with a white cowboy hat.

"Welcome to your dream come true, Dr. Burke."

Dr. Robert Burke, a respected paleontologist and InGen's chief dinosaur adviser for the expedition, carried a detailed set of satellite recon photographs which he spread out on the hood of a nearby jeep. "I believe the large herbivores forage in open plains, like bison, which would explain the great variety of heat signatures we're reading in the flatlands around this waterhole. Right around–here."he finished pointing out a particular spot on the map.

Ludlow smiler. "Then that's where we're going."

"This is as good a place as any for base camp."said the evil inventor, addressing three Zachbots. "First priority are the laser barriers, I want 'em all up and running in thirty minutes. Half an hour, no more no less, you got that? Now step on it!"

But before any orders could be carried out, another gentleman stepped in, pushing aside two of the mechanical minions with little effort. It was none other than Roland Tembo, The Great White hunter.

"Cancel that order!"he asserted.

"What? Why, baldy?"interjected the robotics engineer, not at all fond of being told what to do.

"Carnivores hunt near large water sources, Mr. Varmitech."answered the outdoorsman firmly, unmoved in the least by the name-calling . "Do you want to set up base camp or a buffet?"

"Let's find a new spot, shall we?"asked Ludlow with a shrug. Patience dwindling, the hunter stood over the two scrawnier men, hard diamond eyes peering down upon them.

"Gentlemen, if you want me to run your little camping trip, there are two conditions: Firstly, _I'm_ in charge, and when I'm not around, Dieter is. All you have to do is to sign the checks, tell us we're doing a good job, and open your case of scotch when we have a good day. Second condition: my fee. You can keep it. All I want in exchange for my services is the right to hunt one of the tyrannosaurs. A male. Buck only. Why and how are my business. If you don't like either of those conditions, you're on your own. So go ahead. Set up base camp right here, or in the swamp, or in the middle of a rex nest for all I care. But I've been on too many safaris with rich dentists to listen to any more suicidal ideas. Okay?"

The two exchanged nervous glances. "Okay!"they answered in unison, beaming wide grins.

 _ ****** One Hour Later...******_

As the tropical sun glowed bright orange over the horizon, great crashing among the undergrowth and unfamiliar rumbling disturbed the jungle's usual evening choruses as the hunters' convoy plowed its way through the dense forest as they raced in a straight line towards the open plains. Hovering shoulder to shoulder on the front lines, a dozen or so Zachbots led the way, hacking down any opposing trees and bushes in their path, courtesy of their lasers and saw-wielding arms. Leading the convoy was a small armored jeep with a small camo-net placed over its back, its occupants none other than Ludlow and the Great White Hunter himself.

Reaching the edge of the forest, the hunting party was brought to a halt as a small group of three-horned Triceratops came into view, foraging along a creek.

The herd consisted of four adults and three juveniles. The grown ceratopsians were over ten feet tall, measured twenty five feet from beak to tail, and easily weighed over ten tons. The feature that stood out most in these beasts were their huge frills and formidable three horns, the smaller ones resting on the snouts while longer spears sat over their eyes, making them dangerous adversaries, even against the fiercest of predators.

Alerted by the human's noisy approach and the foul odor of fuel exhaust, the full grown Trikes instinctively formed a wall of horns and frills, getting between their offspring and the oncoming threat. The leader of the herd, a massive bull, lumbered forward to face the intruders who posed a threat to his herd, roaring vigorously as he stomped his front paws on the ground, swinging his impressive shield and horns as a warning.

In response to the ornery herbivore's threat display, some of the hunters instinctively reached for their firearms until Roland held out a hand to signal the men to hold their fire.

On cue, three Zachbots hovered forward to face the angry Triceratops now looming over them.

" _Leave this to us._ "said a robotic voice as the lead robot turned its head to address the hunting party who stood at the ready should anything go wrong.

Enraged that these strange creatures refused to give way, the gigantic horned herbivore began to charge straight for the convoy, his three razor sharp spears lowered, ready to skewer his enemies.

The three Zachbots rushed to meet the oncoming threat head on, red eyes blinking. Hardly had the charging Trike tossed aside one of the mechanical interlopers when the pincers of another robot grabbed the bull firmly by the horns before, to everyone's surprise, the giant herbivore roared in pain as waves of electricity coursed through his body. Despite the excruciating pain, the dinosaur made no signs of yielding as he attempted to take a few steps forward. The machine's eyes displayed no emotion, no remorse as the Zachbot continued its merciless assault on his mammoth adversary, raising the voltage in its arms until with a final roar of defiance, the once proud Triceratops slumped to the ground, completely unconscious.

A moment of silence. The convoy of hunters stood as still as stone, not quite believing what they had just seen. The remaining Trikes also appeared to look on incredulously at the sight of the strange shiny creature that had managed to singlehandedly take down their patriarch who had bested even the mightiest tyrannosaur. Now leaderless, the panicked beasts attempted to retreat for the safety of the dense jungle only for a platoon of Zachbots and vehicles to cut off their escape. For all their power and their might, the three-horned ceratopsians soon fell victim to the nets of their technologically superior foes.

"Well that was a good start."remarked the InGen CEO, impressed with how easily Zach's machines were able to make short work with one of the island's most dangerous inhabitants.

Once the Triceratops herd was rounded up and loaded into strong steel cages, the hunters' convoy continued to plow through miles of jungle until they left the cover of the trees, ultimately coming to a stop on top of a grassy hill overlooking the valley. Situated in the center was a crystal clear lake, its banks lined with a menagerie of dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes, all drawn to the serene shores to drink and to forage the lush vegetation that grew in abundance.

"Maiasaura, Parasaurolophus, Olorotitans, Styracosaurus, Iguanodons, Gallimimus, Dryosaurus, Hypsilophodons, Pachyrhinosaurus, a few other small bipedal dinosaurs, ankylosaurs of the genus Euplocephalus I believe... there's just so many species in this one area! This is fantastic!"marveled Burke excitedly as a child on Christmas Day.

But Ludlow hardly paid the exhilarated paleontologist any attention as he looked down upon the water hole, eyes twinkling with greed. They were going to make a fortune with these animals. In the passenger seat before the head of InGen, Roland announced over his radio: "Gentlemen, the herd has been sighted."

 _ ****** Moments Later...******_

Engines roared, wheels spun and dug into the dirt, men shouted and radios squawked as vehicles and motorcycles were hot in pursuit of the fleeing herds they had flushed, fueled by adrenaline and intoxicated by the thrill of the chase. Aboard their vehicles, the hunters shouted and shrieked with glee, thrilled and amazed by the spectacular animals they were pursuing, animals that seemed out of place and out of time in their modern world; bands of small, bipedal dinosaurs who used their speed and agility to race and scamper between the legs of the larger, thirty-foot hadrosaurs most of which were adorned with elaborate bony crests on their heads, from the trombone-like structures of Parasaurolophus, to the hatchet-shaped helmets of the Olorotitans; the imposing horned dinosaurs like Styracosaurus, whose shield-like frills bristled with long spikes. Unlike most of the other herbivores, these four-ton quadrupeds opted for fight rather than flight as they tried to skewer any vehicle within reach of their three-foot nose horns. The same applied for the similar sized Pachyrhinosaurs, who had thick, bony knobs in the place of a horn. The best defended of these titans were the extraordinary ankylosaurs, who relied upon their thick body armor and swinging tail clubs to deter attacks from even the sharpest fang or claw. But they were no match for these more clever human predators against whom their defenses were of little use.

"Look at these things!"

"They're beautiful, man, they're beautiful!"

It was then that the real work began.

"Cycle! Break off a stray from the herd and flush him to the right!"Tembo ordered through his headset, his eyes set on a specific kind of dinosaur. "Snagger, stay ready. He's bringing him out to you. It'll be a Pachy– pachy umm.."–here he struggled with pronouncing the creature's name, "oh hell! The fat head with the bald spot! Friar Tuck!"

Once the command was given, a motorcycle broke from the convoy with a roar, hot on the tail of his quarry: a small, bipedal dinosaur over twenty feet long, zig zagging between the larger hadrosaurs. Suddenly, a group of colossal Mamenchisaurs, startled by the noisy uproar, emerged from out of the trees to join the stampeding throng, thundering straight into the cyclist's path. Grinning within his helmet at the prospect of a thrilling challenge, the rider managed to effortlessly weave between the stomping pillar-like feet of the hundred-foot behemoths, boldly racing right underneath their vast underbellies.

Back within the convoy, Ludow was transfixed by the beauty of the stampede as he claps his hands and laughed.

After a long chase, the cyclist had finally managed to isolate the stray dinosaur from the rest of the herd. A jeep soon joined in on the action, and a group of four wranglers, armed with lassos and tasers, jumped out of the vehicle to engage the cornered animal. Some distance from the escalating battle, another jeep stopped by, its passengers none other than Dr. Robert Burke and the field veterinarian.

"Pachycephalosaurus!"

"Carnivore?"

"Huh? No, herbivore. Late Cretaceous North America. This is amazing! We've found a lot of domed cranial fragments, but never a whole animal– until now!"

Despite being cornered and outnumbered, the Pachycephalosaurus fought back anyway, head lowered, making lunges at any human foolish enough to get too close.

"See that distinctive dome skull? That's ten inches of solid bone! Now careful. The Pachy's neck attaches to the bottom of it's skull instead of the back of it's head, as with reptiles. So when it lowers it's head, it's neck lines up directly with the backbone, which is perfect for absorbing impact."

As if confirming the truth of the paleontologist's lecture, the angry Pachycephalosaurus rammed head on into the side of the offending jeep, leaving a huge dent on the door and sending the driver falling out onto the dirt with a thud, his head ringing. The dinosaur expert and the vet wisely took the hint to back away.

Tembo's jeep arrived at the scene, hard eyes never leaving the struggle as he spoke into his headset. "Snagger, Friar Tuck's on the loose, coming your way."

Just then, an elaborate, heavily modified Humvee with a large clawlike device drove toward the escaping Pachy, a series of outrigger seats extended from it, all boarded by four wranglers waiting expectantly. The dome-headed herbivore tried to run, but became hopelessly caught in two of the hunters' lassos. Another fired a harpoon gun delivering a shallow-sink dart into an animal's skin. A third wrangler then pulled the trigger of his tranq-rifle, firing a tranquilizer dart that buried itself in the dinosaur's neck.

As the truck gained on its prey, the large six-foot prong, padded with what look like heavy airbags on the insides opened up on the front of the truck, slowly descending upon the struggling plant-eater. As the animal is pulled in, the scissors closed with a hydraulic whir, trapping its prey between the airbags which inflated on contact, restricting any movement. For all its valiant struggles, the feisty Pachycephalosaurus was now helplessly immobilized, under the mercy of its captors as sheer exhaustion and the effects of the tranquilizers took over its body.

With the Pachy now secured, Roland and the other hunters went on to other business. "Dieter. Get into the outrigger. You're closing in on a Corytho–"

" _Say That again, Roland. A what?_ "came a voice from the radio.

"The one with the big, red horn. The pompadour– Elvis!"

Elsewhere among the thundering stampede, the two wranglers, Dieter and Carter, a brittle white South African and a Hispanic in their forties, shared a light hearted laugh before Dieter, rifle in hand, whipped a harness over himself, clicking it into place. He jabbed his thumb into a flashing red button in the dashboard. Immediately, a motor underneath the seat hummed to life and the seat itself telescoped, extending a good four feet outward, providing a convenient platform for Dieter to raise his gun, and take aim at his target: A male Corythosaurus, adorned with a red helmet-like crest as Roland had described, was attempting to flee from their jeep.

 _BANG!_

The crested plant-eater staggered as a feathered tranquilizer dart struck in his left hindquarter. Having successfully taken the shot, the South African was reeled back inside the vehicle which began to slow as they closed in on their target. Other hunters arrived on the scene, completely surrounding the hadrosaur on all sides, along with half a dozen Zachbots, cutting off any chance of escape.

Being the Great White Hunter's second in command, Dieter disembarked from his perspective jeep to instruct the other wranglers who tried to harness the massive hadrosaur. "Easy!"he cautioned as a pair of men managed to lasso the beast's neck. "Easy, not too close lads. Go for the legs! _The legs–_ _watch the tail!_ "

Tiring and outnumbered, the cornered dinosaur was not about to go down without a fight. Suddenly, the Corythosaurus reared upon his hind legs before swinging his head up, taking the two hunters flying in the air before a single Zachbot wrapped its extended arms around the animal's limbs. Another of the machines rushed into the dinosaur's right flank, ramming him to the ground in a cloud of dust. Even when he's down, the animal continued to thrash, pumping its legs wildly, despite them being restrained. Dieter turned a knob on the side of the steel cattle prod in his hand and thrusted it into the defenseless animal's neck. A blue arc of electricity cracked and danced over the herbivore's body, earning a horrible, high-pitched squeal of pain that ripped the air.

The field vet hurried over to the Corythosaur's side with a syringe, drawing a certain amount of tranquilizer from a glass bottle before injecting it into the animal's thigh. Slowly but surely, the sedative began to take effect and the creature's struggles ceased. The minute the dinosaur was completely subdued, Carter approached with a can of spray paint and quickly tagged the animal with an ID number in day-glo orange.

The downed Corythosaurus wasn't the only victim to the onslaught; All around the successful hunting party, more and more animals, great and small, young and old were wrangled, roped and ultimately unwillingly led into individual steel cages. Those that tried to find escape in the surrounding forest were cut off and overtaken by the Zachbots. Not even the largest sauropod dinosaurs were immune to capture as Zach's mechanical minions threw neon-red energy nets over them. And for all their titanic struggles, the strange barriers were virtually impervious to their Herculean strength.

High atop the cliffs overlooking the plains, the whole fiasco was being watched by Malcolm, Sarah, Nick, Eddie, Kelly, Amber and the Kratt Brothers, all horrified and disgusted by the turn of events.

"What in the creature world?!"exclaimed Chris, overwhelmed by the chaos in the valley below and righteously angered by the nature of carelessness and cruelty being displayed.

"This is so much worse than we imagined."added a disheartened Martin. Just the sight of all those magnificent creatures who were so used to roaming free reduced to such a state was enough to break his heart. Next to him, the young Velociraptor whimpered and whined as she nudged her head on his shoulder, anguish very evident in her golden eyes. It pained her to see her fellow creatures endure such a fate, herbivores though they were.

Nearby, Nick lowered his binoculars and looked away. He couldn't bear to watch anymore. "Bastards," he cursed.

Eddie, Kelly and Sarah only looked on sadly, the latter two almost at the verge of tears. The mathematician's face was unreadable, but inwardly he was angry at InGen's foolish endeavors. These people never seemed to learn, did they?

Suddenly Chris' Creaturepod rang, breaking the silent spell. After the Kratt in green answered, a holographic screen appeared, revealing Aviva on the other end. "Chris! We've got some serious trouble. Ludlow and his mercenaries are here on the island."

"We know."confirmed the young Kratt grimly. "They've captured just about every herbivore out here on the flatlands!"

"That's not all," added Koki from the database. "Donita's mannequins have pose beamed all the feathered dinosaurs in the forest, including Bristles the Psittacosaurus and Poe and his Microraptor flock!"

In that moment, another contact rang from Martin's cellular device. The Kratt in blue quickly answered, revealing Laura on the other line.

"Hapana!"interjected the blonde outdoors woman quietly as she called in, concealed within the dense vegetation. She had been sent out by the tech crew earlier to scout for potential dangers. "My friends, I am grieved to be the bearer of bad news,"

"What is it, Laura?"asked the Kratt in blue worriedly.

"I have spotted your friend Gourmand,"answered the hidden ranger in a voice low enough as not to give herself away to said chef who gleefully sang to himself, a net full of small dinosaurs draped over his brawny shoulder, thrashing and struggling to break free of their restraints.

"Ooh, I can taste the recipe now!" said the illegal fry cook as he chuckled to himself, completely unaware of his hidden audience glaring down upon him. "Dinosaur egg omelette supreme! With a delectable side of Dino-stir fry. Made with only the rarest, most endang– I mean, _extinct_ recipe on earth. Now to go check on those traps."

Hidden within the dense undergrowth, the African ranger waited for a good minute or so until she was certain that Gourmand was nowhere in sight. "He has captured many of the small and mid-sized carnivores. Not to mention an unknown number of dinosaur eggs!"

"Kidnapping baby animals on Christmas was one thing. Using them to power machines maybe. But _this?!_ This is a serious creature crisis!"exclaimed Martin.

"Everyone, meet us over at the Raptor den." ordered the Kratt in green urgently. "We're on our way!"

"You got it, CK!"replied Koki with a nod before they signed off.

Suddenly, several thunderous cracks sounded within the eerily silent forest, causing everyone to freeze with a jolt. The creature adventurers' blood ran cold upon hearing that eerily familiar racket, especially Chris whose mind was instantaneous flooded with horrible memories from the past. The young Velociraptor uttered a fearful shriek as she ran behind her two caretakers.

There was no mistaking the ominous sound of a gunshot.

"What the hell's going on now?!"exclaimed Eddie, hands clasped tightly on his head, fearful of any potential whizzing bullets.

For what felt like an eternity, the jungle fell into a deathly silence.

"That can't be good,"remarked the photographer, inwardly trembling.

"What was your first clue?"retorted the mathematician dryly.

In that moment, two streaks, one gray and the other bright yellow, bounded out of the forest's dark green depths at lightning fast speed before coming to an abrupt halt before the bewildered party to reveal two wild Velociraptors. And not any wild Velociraptors.

"Malaika! Kipanga!"

Amber perked in excitement upon seeing their visitors as she raced over to greet them, nuzzling them in greeting. Panting heavily, the two female raptors accepted the affectionate gesture gratefully.

"You girls look like you've seen a T-rex." Martin remarked as he gently stroked the pair, noticing that they were wide-eyed in terror.

"Is something wrong?"said Chris, coaxing them to talk.

 _ **"What troubles you my friends?"**_ Amber asked the pair, genuine concern evident in her eyes as she repeated the question in Raptorese. In that moment, the three theropods engaged in animated discussion, and even though they weren't donned in their Raptor Power Suits, Martin and Chris could easily read enough of the dinosaurs' postures and vocalizations, courtesy of their research. It didn't take long for the Kratt Brothers to be able to connect the dots. The moment they had, their eyes widened in horror as the two gasped simultaneously.

A horrified gasp sounded from the young raptor's CTT as her friends had concluded their tales. _**"Oh no,"**_

"What–What'd they say?"inquired Malcolm.

"The pack is under attack!"

 _ ****** Dun DUN DUUUNN! The part we've all been dreading. To be continued... don't say the forbidden six words, don't say the forbidden six words...**_

 _ **As you may notice, I've taken the liberty to expand Isla Sorna's ecology by adding more dinosaur species, some like the Styracosaurus, Maiasaura, Dryosaurus, Hypsilophodon, and Euplocephalus which appeared in the novel series, and others that are totally new.**_

 _ **In other news, I finally figured out a suitable voice actress for Laura Wilkinson: the one and only Grey Griffin, a.k.a Grey DeLisle! (Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo)**_

 _ **Stay tuned for more updates... ;)**_


	7. Into the Dragon's Lair

Not a word was spoken among the team as they raced through the forest trail, guided by Amber, Malaika and Kipanga. Chris and Martin raced not far behind the three she raptors, aided by their Raptor Power suits, yet still slow enough for Malcolm, Sarah, Nick, and Eddie to follow. Kelly rode upon the blue raptor's back to save her the trouble of tagging along with the adults. Under better circumstances, she would have found the ride to be more exhilarating than any horseback riding. The group could only stare grimy ahead, wondering what they're about to find.

Nearing the den site, they could hear the pack long before they could see them within the dense undergrowth. Mournful shrieks and spine-chilling cries tore through the still air, echoing across the forest. To the inexperienced ear, those eerie wails could easily have been interpreted as the savage hunting call of some strange, primeval killer. But to the creature adventurers, they were the bereft lamentations of highly intelligent and sentient beings who had lost one of their own. The five theropods immediately quickened their pace, leaving the others little choice but to do likewise in spite of their burning lungs.

But as they finally arrived at their destination, nothing could prepare them for the tragedy that awaited them.

"Oh my God."said Sarah, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh no!"cried the Kratts.

"What the hell?"questioned Malcolm.

As they deactivated their Creature Power Suits, the Kratt Brothers looked around in complete horror at what they found: the den site looked like a war zone; the clearing was a rutted, muddy mess, and dozens of metallic parts and pieces littered the forest floor. And laying on the ground, in a pool of his own blood, was Bwana Wa Kuwinda, his breathing shallow, bleeding from various injuries. Surrounding their fallen leader, heads hanging low, were a number of the pack. But a careful headcount revealed that several members were missing and of the rest, few were unscathed, covered in bruises and minor flesh wounds. Malaika shrieked in alarm as she immediately raced to her father's side, her concern very evident in her blue eyes.

"Oh no," murmured Nick.

Suddenly the roar of an engine rumbled somewhere in the jungle's green depths, startling the disheartened raptors out of their trance. Some of them snarled and growled as they readied their claws for yet another intruder. As the vehicle pulled into the edge of the clearing, the raptors dropped their guard, seeing it was only the Createrra VX, which they knew to be harmless. Disembarking from the all-terrain vehicle were Aviva, Koki, Laura, and Jimmy Z. Their shock was no less than that of the Kratt Bros.

"Chris!"cried Aviva, running straight for the Kratt in green, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Chris did likewise.

"Aviva! What happened?"he asked once they parted.

"I don't know!"she replied, visibly shaken up; the thunderous cracks had undoubtedly sparked painful memories from the past. "We were on our way to the den when we heard those gunshots! ¡Fue horrible!"

First aid kit in hand, Koki rushed to aid the injured pack leader while JZ hung back by the Createrra. Sarah joined in as well, having prior experience with veterinary sciences as well as her father being a vet. Laura was about to assist the technician and paleontologist when she spotted something that glimmered from the corner of her eye. Crouching to the ground, she picked up several golden metallic casings of cylindrical shape. ".300 caliber cartridges."said the seasoned tracker after a thorough inspection of the rejected shells. "Whoever fired those shots must've used bolt action rifles. Winchester Magnums perhaps."

"These are powerful enough to take down a moose." Eddie commented, analyzing the used up shells from Laura's hand.

"Aviva. I need you to do a full head count of the pack."requested the Kratt in green urgently.

"Si, Cariño."answered the inventor.

"Laura, see if you can find any more clues around the den site."

The African ranger nodded. "Ndiyo."

" try to gather as much information as you can."

"You got it, bro."said the older Kratt with a salute before reactivating his CPS. "So Zuri, what happened here?"asked the blue theropod, addressing the alpha's mate. The gray she-raptor wasted no time in recalling the details of the attack through a series of vocalizations and body postures.

As his brother interviewed the beta, Chris' attention was aroused by menacing growls. He turned to find Amber baring her teeth, her scaly skin burning bright red in obvious anger.

"What is it, Amber?"asked the Kratt in green. The young theropod's golden eyes never left the scattered mechanical parts strewn all over the den. Judging from the series of bites and claw marks on their silvery hides, it seemed that these machines had met their match in the form of angry Velociraptors.

Chris looked closely at the shattered remains of the mangled robots, recognizing the metal work. The smoking gun came when he picked up a piece with a familiar crimson red insignia. The Kratt in green could hardly suppress a scowl as he threw the red _**V**_ on the ground. " _Zach."_ he growled.

But something was off; these were not the remains of the evil inventor's usual minions. These robots had the overall features that resembled those of a theropod dinosaur, most notably a Velociraptor. The metallic jaws of a decapitated machine were stained a bright crimson. In a brief moment of anger, the Kratt in green kicked the severed head, sending it flying among the ferns.

"What are those?"asked Malcolm, looking down upon the lifeless robots.

"Robo-raptors."the creature adventure hissed, remembering the time years ago when Zach had captured Amber, hardly more than a year old at the time, for another of his hair-brained inventions. To save her, he and the team had to battle an entire army of the robotic dinosaurs, that proved to be far smarter and deadlier than the average Zachbot.

"We've seen them before."

 _ **"Zach Vermin-tech."**_ snarled Amber, remembering the incident all too well. Of all their enemies, the young raptor despised the evil inventor the most. Chris gently stroked the angry theropod to calm her down. Slowly but surely, her growls ceased and the fiery red scales slowly melted back to their original orange color.

Nearly finished with the investigation, the Kratt Brothers soon turned their attention to the fallen raptor. By his side, the Tortuga technician was running a quick medical scan as Sarah did her best to patch up Bwana's injuries. Zuri nuzzled her wounded mate while Malaika nudged her father's sides gently in an attempt to help him back on his feet. Tiger Claw stood to the side solemnly.

"Will he be okay?"asked Martin almost pleadingly.

Before long, the results were in.

Koki shook her head sadly. "It's not good; serious lacerations, bullet wounds, several broken ribs, one punctured lung and internal bleeding. By my calculations, he has only a few minutes left."

The once proud leader of the pack was mortally wounded, his life slowly ebbing away with each shallow breath.

"I–I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do."murmured Sarah, wiping away a few tears from her eyes. The paleontologist took the terrible scarred head on her knees, wrapping her arms round the torn neck. Bwana made no objections as continued to draw in more shallow breaths. As if understanding the gravity of her mate's falling condition, Zuri gently nuzzled the alpha's bloodied snout, her eyes closed. The downed male's green orbs slowly drooped shut as he returned the affectionate gesture with what little strength remained in him, savoring their final moments together.

The dying Velociraptor then wearily raised his head, weakly calling to his eldest offspring. Upon being summoned, Tiger Claw slowly approached his ailing father to hear what he had to say. The dominant male could only warble so quietly that the striped youngster had to lean in to better listen.

Not long after, Tiger Claw jolted his head back, his green eyes widened before he cawed reluctantly, shaking his head almost pleadingly. This was not the young and proud heir to the throne, but a frightened and grief-stricken hatchling who felt unworthy of taking his father's place.

"What–what's going on?"asked the tech expert, watching the exchange.

 _ **"Bwana is making Tiger Claw the new leader,"**_ replied Amber sadly. If raptors could shed tears, her eyes would have been watering.

Bwana was adamant. The pack needed a leader.

 _ **"The pack needs him."**_

The young raptor's eyes took on a new look of resolution and determination as he nodded firmly. He won't let his father down.

Knowing that whatever remained of his pack had been entrusted in good hands, Bwana Wa Kuwinda drew in one final breath as he closed his eyes for one last time. Then stillness claimed him. The leader of the pack, the Master of the Hunt, was no more.

At last, the pack could hold back no more. Gathered around their deceased leader, the Velociraptors threw back their heads in spine-chilling howls, causing the jungle to echo with their cries. Only Tiger Claw maintained his composure, bowing his head sadly. He had to be strong for his pack, as like his father before him, they now looked to him for leadership and guidance. In a sympathetic gesture, Amber rubbed her head gently against the striped youngster's side. For a while, Tiger Claw stood as still as stone, making no acknowledgment of the soft touch until he craned his neck over her's in a tight embrace. The female's amber eyes flew wide open in surprise before she closed them once more, returning the gesture.

Once they could howl no more, the theropods took turns gently nudging Bwana's lifeless body, bidding him farewell in their own way.

Along the sidelines, the expedition crew looked on sadly, not a word spoken among them. These certainly weren't the ruthless and blood-thirsty beasts described by early naturalists and paleontologists who had only fossilized bones to look upon; these were not unthinking, unfeeling monsters by any means, that much was clear by the way they mourned their leader's untimely death and the tender care they gave his body. Even Malcolm could no longer turn a blind eye on that reality as he absentmindedly patted Kelly's back as the twelve-year old buried herself against his black coat, now drenched with tears.

Koki bowed her head in a moment of silence whereas Jimmy Z lowered his hat as he sobbed uncontrollably at the tragic scene. Laura lowered her hat to her chest, unashamed of the tears running down her face. To the African ranger, stricken though she was, this was scarcely anything new; she had seen elephants mourning their dead in much the same way, a few of which were the victims of poaching. Perhaps like the higher mammals, raptors too had an understanding of death and felt loss.

Aviva buried her face in Chris' shoulder, weeping quietly. The Kratt in green placed his hands on the smalls of her back, rubbing and patting her comfortingly all the while trying not to cry himself. Martin, however, allowed his tears to fall freely. Even though they had lost many creature friends over the years, each new loss was more stinging than the last.

"Chris. I've finished the headcount."said the inventor once she found her voice again. "We're missing Slasher, Makucha, Patchy, Clawjumper, six or seven others." Her voice broke as she also reported: "All the hatchlings have been taken too." Even after so many years, it pained Aviva to think of the level of cruelty some people had to separate parents from their children, no matter the species.

"It was an ambush."informed the older Kratt, his voice barely above a whisper. "The pack was just minding its own business when some shooting stars rained from the sky,"

"Shooting stars?"asked a confused Kelly.

"They probably mean flares."replied Eddie grimly, picking up the remains of a burnt out military flare. "Woulda spooked the animals, causing a lot of confusion and chaos."

Martin nodded before he went on. "Then twenty Robo-raptors attacked, along with several men armed with thunder and lightning sticks." This tidbit of information told the team that the intruders were armed with guns and electric prods. "Most of the pack had been rounded up and caged when the Master of the Hunt sprang into action, taking out a good number of Robo-raptors. But that's when the hunters shot him, and– and the rest of the Robo-raptors, they– they moved in to— finish the job."

"The bastards."fumed the cameraman, balling his fists. "Wait till I give them a piece of my mind,"

"How could somebody be so cruel?"asked Kelly, both saddened and appalled.

"Hapa! Nimepata njia!" In that moment, Laura called out from the very edge of the clearing, summoning the team's attention. "I found the trail!"

Everyone rushed over to where the ranger stooped to the forest floor, pointing out a trail of tire tracks that left deep marks into the ground like a great scar. Any trees or foliage in or along the path had been sawed and cut down. It didn't take a master tracker to know where the perpetrators had gone. They now had a lead.

"How the hell did we miss _that_?"wondered the tech expert out loud.

Martin and Chris knew that their grieving would have to wait. They had a pack to save, along with many of the other inhabitants who called this island home.

"What're we waiting for?"asked Martin rhetorically, toe claws clicking, his raptorial tail slowly twitching from side to side.

"That's it. No more Mr. Nice Kratt."proclaimed the Kratt in green, pulling up his sleeves as he looked over the broken trail taken by the kidnappers with a narrowed gaze.

"Payback time, bitches!"exclaimed Nick, his camera replaced by a crowbar, eager to punish those that had wronged the pack and turned this island upside down.

"Don't worry, TC,"the Kratt in blue reassured Tiger Claw, placing a clawed hand on the dinosaur's striped shoulder, "we'll get the others back."

"That's a promise."added Chris.

"We won't let you down."proclaimed Sarah, placing a gentle hand upon his snout.

The young leader nodded in understanding before his features took on a look of determination as he uttered a distinctive barking call, rallying the other raptors. In a heartbeat, the pack stood before their new leader, eagerly awaiting his commands, several of them lowering their heads in submission. From the sidelines, the paleontologist and the Wild Kratts watched with pride and listened attentively as Tiger Claw spoke to his brethren, head and tail held high in the same manner his father would have done. The new leader was immediately met with a chorus of squawks and shrieks, tails wagging, heads bobbing up and down in agreement.

Amber also lent her voice to the din, screeching in excitement. _**"To the Creature Rescue!"**_

Sarah and the Wild Kratts team were overjoyed to say the very least.

"Wha–what's going on?"asked the mathematician cluelessly. Nick and Eddie were equally oblivious. Martin and Chris simply exchanged knowing glances, which caused Malcolm to grow nervous.

 _ ****** Elsewhere...******_

Sweat-soaked and overheated from a good day's hunt, Dieter Stark guzzled water from a canteen over his head to cool himself off when a high pitched warble caught his attention. Looking down, the man caught sight of a tiny lizardlike animal, dark green with brown stripes along its back. Only about a foot tall, it stood on its hind legs, balancing on its elongated tail. Walking upright, the inquisitive little creature hopped over to investigate the puddle near the human's foot.

The animal's presence immediately caught the attention of the chief dinosaur expert who bent over to observe the minuscule biped. "Oh my God! Compsognathus triassicus! Found by Fraas in Bavaria, 1913 I think."said Burke.

"Is it dangerous?"asked Stark.

"Nah. I don't think so. Compys have always been presumed to be scavengers, like jackals, feeding on dead or wounded animals."

The compy in question sniffed Dieter's boot, lapping at the drops of water on his toe.

"It gives me the creeps. It's like it's not scared."

"Probably because there haven't been any visitors to this island. It has no reason to fear man."

With a cruel smile, Dieter slowly pulled the steel cattle prod from the loop in his belt before touching it to the compy's back. In that instant, the electric shock cracked over the animal's form and sent it scampering back into the bushes, wailing.

"Now it does."he said without remorse.

" _Burke! Come here!_ "called Roland Tembo somewhere in the surrounding forest. Leaving Dieter to his devices, Burke hurried over to the direction Roland's voice came, carrying his large book. He promptly came across the outdoorsman who was down on the ground with Ajay Sidhu, staring at an enormous, very deep three-toed track.

"You recognize this trackway?"the big game hunter inquired.

"I'm afraid I do."the paleontologist replied softly as he flipped to a particular page in his field journal and turned it around, displaying a photograph of a fossilized footprint that matched the set imprinted into the mud. There was also a large, lifelike drawing of the animal that made it. An animal so large that the page had to be folded out twice to reveal it all.

"Tyrannosaurus rex."

Next to the Great White hunter, Ajay, who was a seasoned tracker, studied the predator's trail that went sideways, bisecting the game trail. "He sprang from the foliage. Picked off a calf–that's this smaller set of tracks that disappears. Then carried it back into the bush. That way."

Roland nodded as he brandished his weapon of choice: an antique elephant gun, double barreled .600 Nitro Express. Nearly a hundred years old, its rosewood stock was worn buttery smooth, but nicked and scarred by two lifetimes of hunting campaigns. Cape buffalo were delicately engraved along its silver breech. The barrels were twenty-four inches long, topped with ivory bead foresight at the business end. Roland scooped up the firearm, broke the breech before pulling two rounds of ammunition from his shirt pocket. Four inches long and three-quarters of an inch in diameter, these were the largest full metal jacket cartridges ever made. He slipped one into each barrel and they landed with a resonant metallic _WHUMP_.

Now fully prepared for the challenge ahead, the two outdoorsmen head into the bush. In that moment, an armored jeep pulled into the edge of the forest. Its occupant, the head of InGen, stepped out to greet them.

"Ah, Roland! Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

"To collect my fee, Mr. Ludlow. To collect my fee."he answered, hardly paying the businessman any mind as he and his companion walked on until they were swallowed by the forest's green depths.

Deep under the jungle's thick canopy, the two hunters stalked in the direction taken by their quarry. Ajay took a step into the brush, but at a ninety degree angle away from the direction in which the animals tracks led.

"Ajay."

The tracker turned as his friend pointed in the direction in which the footprints led.

"I'm no tracker, but even I can read this spoor."

"Do you wish to go where the animal has been, or where the animal is?"replied Sidhu.

Roland smiled as he followed his trusty companion who set off in his chosen direction. For half an hour, the pair made their way through the jungle's thick foliage until they came into a small clearing, where an enormous cave was carved into a nearby rocky wall.

Roland pulled up a handful of grass and released it into the breeze which brought the clump floating back between his legs. They were downwind from the mouth of the cave.

He proceeded, cautiously, silently toward the cave, Ajay following close behind him. Scattered around the floor were the remains of various herbivorous dinosaurs,including the partially eaten leg of a creature, old and crawling with white maggots and flies.

The hunters continued on, each wearing a bandanna over their faces to block out the putrid stench of rotting flesh in the air. Closer to the cave, they passed the skull of a large hadrosaur, some of the flesh and green skin still attached to the bone. It, too, is covered in a cloud of flies. Still the two continued on, ascending a short rise that led into the cave. From the inside, they could hear an odd, very high-pitched squeaking sound bouncing off the stone walls. Not quite the thundering roar they had expected.

Crawling now, Roland and Ajay scaled a four-foot circular rampart of dried mud, and peered into the dragon's lair. It was flattened inside, about ten feet in diameter and completely encircled by earthen walls.

Standing in the center of the nest was a young tyrannosaur, about four and a half feet long. More slenderly built than its gargantuan parents, the baby T-rex had a large head in proportion to its body with equally enlarged eyes. It squeaked repeatedly as it tore awkwardly at the remains of a chuck of animal flesh from a newly slain ceratopsian, biting decisively with tiny, razor sharp teeth.

The cave itself was a foul boneyard; animal bones and carcasses littered the floor, attracting swarms of flies that buzzed in the captive air.

"It's the Rex nest."whispered Tembo, observing the nest's occupant from a good distance. "Infant's probably only a couple of weeks old. Never left the nest." The baby tyrannosaur heard the whispers from the outskirts of the nest and looked up, cocking its head in curiosity at the sight of these strange creatures. The big game hunter turned to look behind them, surveying for any signs of the youngster's parents. The coast was clear. For now at least.

"Offspring that young. Parents won't leave him alone for too long."

"Make your blind here, wait for the buck to return."said Ajay.

The hunter shook his head. "No. No, if the nest is upwind, so are we. When he comes back, he's gonna know we're here without us even having a chance. The trick is... to get him... to come where we want him." The baby Rex quickly lost interest before it continued to feed upon the carcass, completely oblivious as the Great White hunter looked down upon it, thinking.

 _ ****** This was a very hard chapter to write mainly because I hate tragedies! *sniff* But I felt that it was an important addition being that we the audience are more able to connect to these animals more than we have in the entire JP trilogy, and I also wanted to show Velociraptors in a whole different light aside from the deadly killing machines of pop culture. There's more to them than just teeth and claws.**_

 _ **In other news, I'm so psyched about the latest JW trailer! I don't believe I've ever been this excited about an upcoming movie since JW1 or TJB. Can't wait!**_

 _ **Stay tuned for more updates!**_


	8. To the Dino Rescue

As darkness fell over the island, the hunters had established base camp in an area they had trampled and cleared just below the ridge. Red laser fences encircled the perimeter, courtesy of Zach Varmitech. Nothing could go in and out without setting off the alarm. Inside the boundaries, half a dozen tents were set up around a central campfire. The vehicles were all parked at one end, away from the tents, while along the other end, was a row of at least dozens of "capture containers," steel cages that held the imprisoned dinosaurs they had already rounded up earlier that afternoon. Close by, the colossal sauropods, which were too large to be contained behind bars, were corralled within a dome made up entirely of a red force field that was immune to their great strength.

Watching all the activity from a fern-covered hillside well out of sight from the unsuspecting men were Ian, Sarah, Kelly, Eddie, Nick, and the Wild Kratts team. Sarah stood a bit further back from the others, not wanting to get too close to the edge. Behind them in the shadows was the Velociraptor pack, led by Tiger Claw. The raptors all stood shoulder to shoulder, eying the tents and hunters with a vengeance.

From the settlement below, voices wafted up to them, raucous, laughing, some even singing, albeit drunken and off key. In the center of it all, Peter Ludlow and Zach Varmitech were pointing out and giving orders to everyone, man and machine alike.

"Ludlow."said Malcolm with a dark expression.

"Zach."growled the two creature adventurers, seeing their most persistent enemy.

"That's why Hammond was in such a hurry for you all to get here. He knew they were coming." Having seen enough, Malcolm then gave his binoculars to Sarah, who moved forward gingerly.

"You okay?"asked Kelly, looking at the redhead in concern.

"Heights, I can't help it."groaned the paleontologist irritably. To her boyfriend, she asked: "Put your arm here, will you?"

The mathematician obliged, wrapping his arm around her waist, to steady her while she's closer to the cliff edge.

"Corythosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Olorotitan, Triceratops, Apatosaurus, Iguanodon, Pachycephalosaurus, Stegosaurus, just to name a few."she observed through the spyglasses. "Looks like they went for mostly herbivores or small scavengers."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Sarah. Look! Here come the carnivores." Everyone looked to where Martin pointed and saw a procession of Zachbots and Robo-raptors entering the camp, with new arrivals in tow. Secured within steel cages and neon energy nets were a menagerie of rather large, terrifying beasts armed with razor sharp claws and teeth glistening like knives.

"Oh my God. There's Allosaurus, Suchomimus, Baryonyx, Coelurus, Herrerasaurus–" Sarah never had the opportunity to finish as Chris interjected: "And there's the pack!" And among the captive predators were the Velociraptors the team had come to know and love.

Upon hearing the struggles and shrieks of their captive pack mates, the raptors jolted in frenzied excitement, heads raised as though they heard a gunshot. One raptor was about to sound an answering call when Zuri snapped at the subordinate's neck to silence her. A hard stare from Tiger Claw caused the theropod to bow her head in submission. They couldn't afford to give themselves away.

 _ **"Shh. Not now, friend."**_ whispered Amber. The other raptor warbled an apology.

"What do they want?"asked Laura, eagle eying the productive camp from her weather-worn binoculars.

"They want their money back."Malcolm replied. "To InGen, this island is nothing more than a bed investment. As for Zach, I'm not really sure,"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Koki responded, eyes narrowed.

"My God, they're well organized."whispered the tech expert, impressed by the hunter's gear and gadgets, most notably an oversized Jeep with a large satellite dish on top, sitting beside a large tent. "Every piece of gear, state of the art."

"And it's got Zach Varmitech written all over it."growled Aviva, glaring down upon the vehicles marked with the infamous red _**V**_ insignia of her bitter rival.

"Eddie, maybe I should ask to use their phone. Their dish is bigger than yours." Ian remarked. This was met with several unamused expressions from everyone else. Even the raptors. "What?"

Kelly raised her head interrogatively. "So they actually want to build a park here? After what you guys said happened on the other island?"

Chris frowned seriously. "They're not building anything. They're taking these animals outta here... back to the mainland."

"I can't believe Peter Ludlow's running all this."grumbled the mathematician darkly.

Nick looked down upon the camp through his own binoculars until he spied something, or rather someone. "He isn't. Check out the guy walking past the fire."

With their spyglasses and binoculars, the others peered down at the camp where he saw Roland, walking alongside Ajay, weapons and equipment slung over their shoulders.

"Roland Tembo."

"Who?"asked the mathematician cluelessly.

"We've run into him before."replied the Kratt in blue. "In Brazil. He was spearhunting jaguars. Said it was immoral to go after them any other way." Chris' brown eyes narrowed at the memory.

"He's not just a hunter, he's a philosopher. Kind of guy who beats you up with your own argument."said Nick.

"He's the one in charge."added the African ranger, having had her fair shares of encounters with the outdoorsman.

"Well, it looks like the head honcho just left camp." Martin observed. True to his word, the Great White hunter was nowhere in sight.

"Now is our chance."whispered Chris.

"Our chance to do what?"Malcolm asked.

"Night is falling, people."informed the tech expert. "We should get back to base camp."

"Absolutely. We've indulged our curiosity long enough."replied the scientist in agreement, taking his daughter's hand. "Kelly and I are going back to the trailers with Eddie to send the radio call for the boat. Who's coming?" The twelve-year old heaved a sigh of disappointment, not wanting to miss out on the action.

"Jimmy and I are heading back to the Tortuga to make sure that Zach doesn't try any funny business."added Koki as she and the pizza-eating pilot also began to retrace their steps back to the turtle ship.

"But we haven't come close to finishing our work yet."Sarah protested.

"Your work has been invalidated by their presence." Ian countered, gesturing to the camp below. "What Hammond needed to sway the public opinion was a record of his Lost World–before it was found. It's too late for that."

"It's not a research expedition anymore, Ian."replied Chris seriously. "It's a rescue operation."

 _ **"And we Wild Kratts never turn our backs on creatures who need us."**_ stated the raptor ambassador.

"You're right, Amber. Aviva. Is there any chance we can take an even closer look?"Sarah asked.

With a nod, the inventor smirked as what appeared to be a tiny robotic fly fluttered from the palm of her hand. "Deploy Flycam!"

Once on the wing, the remote operated Flycam flew straight into the heart of the hunter's camp, all without raising any suspicion or alarm from the oblivious men.

The surveillance camera's first stop was at a odd pink colored tent that stood out from the rest. The interior was littered with dress forms, sewing machines, posters, drapes, boxes filled with clothing and fabrics, an expensive velvet sofa and many other personal comforts.

"What the hell?"wondered a puzzled Nick out loud as he and the others analyzed the inside of the tent from a holographic screen projecting from the inventor's Creaturepod. It all seemed very out of place in this rugged setting.

"Definitely not something you see everyday." Malcolm remarked, equally puzzled.

The Wild Kratts team, however, recognized whom the extravagant tent belonged to in a heartbeat.

" _Okay Donita. Ready."_ The Flycam turned to the owner of the voice to see Dabio with a video camera at the ready. The drone followed the camera's line of sight to where Donita Donata sat on the velvet sofa, using a immobilized Psittacosaurus as a footstool, adorned in what appeared to be black, feathered beret on her head. Draped over her shoulders was a small bipedal dinosaur covered in downy fluff.

"That's a Kulindadromeus."said the paleontologist with a gasp, recognizing the unfortunate animal used as a shawl.

 _"_ Poe!" exclaimed Martin, for the raven hat was actually a Microraptor curled up in a ball.

"And Bristles!"added the younger Kratt, concerned for the Psittacosaur footstool.

" _Hello, fans! It's me, Donita Donata coming from Costa Rica with the latest in animal fashion."_ the fashion designer announced, completely focused upon Dabio's camera. " _This year it's all about feathers. But not just any old feathers. Dinosaur feathers!"_

Back among the undergrowth, everyone, the newcomers especially, looked at the holographic screen incredulously. "Seriously? We gotta stop her!"said Chris. Martin and Aviva nodded in agreement.

"Oh no. Are they–"

"No. They're in suspended animation." Aviva answered for the cameraman. "They're still conscious, but they can't move."

"That is messed up."

" _Ah yes, it's the season of feathers. Shawls, hats, gowns, all with dinosaur feathers. Be sure to preorder now!"_

"That lady's crazy as fu–"

"Now let's see what Gourmand is up to."said the Kratt in green, cutting off Nick's derogatory comment in the process.

Aviva obliged, guiding the flying surveillance camera to what looked like a small restaurant complete with a kitchen, a few tables and chairs, lighting, and decorative plants. A good number of men sat on their designated tables drinking and laughing in merry good cheer. And much to the Kratt Brothers' horror, some were dining upon freshly prepared cuts of meat, undoubtedly from several recently slain animals.

"Oh no."said Martin sadly.

"We're too late."lamented Chris.

"Que terrible."murmured Aviva.

The Flycam flew into the kitchen to see Gourmand hard at work preparing his next delicacy, humming to himself. Behind the illegal cook, dangling from a tight wire by the legs, were half a dozen or so small dinosaurs, completely lifeless. The dead animals were skinned and butchered, making it near impossible to tell the exact species. Others that still survived were being kept in cramped cages, fearfully awaiting their fate.

"Son of a bitch,"growled Nick.

Laid out next to the counter in a brown sack was a clutch of–

"Dinosaur eggs!"Martin, Chris, Aviva, and Sarah exclaimed. It may have been too late for the dinosaurs hanging in the wires, but the next generation still had a chance. But in the light of this discovery, they noticed an approaching Gourmand too late.

 _"Ugh! I do not allow flies in my kitchen!"_ The last thing that the Flycam saw was the raised spatula of the endangered species chef before everything went static.

"Oh no."murmured the inventor, saddened by both the loss of another invention and the impending fate of the creatures in peril.

"We gotta get down there, ASAP!"the Kratt in blue urged.

"I don't know these guys, but I know 'em."said the cameraman. "I've seen them on Japanese whalers, French barges trying to dump barrels of nuclear waste in the North Atlantic. They're all the same. They spray us with water cannons when we try to stop 'em, sink our boats, and then call us crazy."

"Welcome to our world."murmured the Kratt in green grimly, recalling all the times when their efforts to protect the creature world was met with opposition, oftentimes violently. Ever since the incident with the poachers four years back, and countless other times since, the Kratt Brothers had given up on trying to make the villains see reason. Nine times out of ten, they simply didn't care and continued with their crimes against Nature. Chances were that these ruffians only understood one language, and that was what they were ready to deploy if the worst came to the worst.

"Guys. Wait, please listen to me." the scientist tried to reason to put a halt to this apparent insanity. "We are teetering on the edge of a very unstable situation here. It's Gambler's Ruin."

Everyone around exchanged blank glances. Amber tilted her head with a quizzical expression. "Say what?"asked Martin, scratching his head in confusion.

"A statistical phenomenon." Malcolm explained. "Says everything in the world goes in streaks. It's real, you see it everywhere– in baseball, in blackjack, in stock markets. Once things go bad, they tend to stay bad. Bad things cluster. They go to hell together."

In answer, Nick pulled out bolt cutter, a hunting knife and a pry bar from his pack."They're about to. For _them_."

"Sarah."said the mathematician. "I must get Kelly off this island now. So, I'll ask you one more time, and not again: are you coming with us?"

Sarah looked from him to Nick, who shoved his implements of destruction into a tool belt strapped onto his waist. Nearby, Martin, Chris, and Aviva donned their Creature Power Suits, while Laura brandished her weapons of choice, not only her throwing axes, but also an impressive curved African shotel sword. Finally, the adventurous paleontologist looked back to Malcolm, her mind already made up. "I'm sorry, Ian. I can't let them get away with this."

"Let's go."announced the Kratt in green, wasting no time in starting this rescue mission. After securing a rope to a nearby tree, the two creature adventurers, the inventor, the African ranger, and the photographer all descended to the bottom of the cliff. With this turn of events, Amber and Tiger Claw led the pack back into the cover of the forest; they would look for another way around. Sarah was the last as she walked to the edge and paused, looking down in fright.

At the bottom, the others were giving the redhead nods and thumbs up of encouragement. Taking a deep breath, Sarah banished her fear as she started to take the plunge. After what felt like an eternity, her feet were once again on solid ground.

"Where'd you get this fear of heights?"asked Chris, remembering his own acrophobic experience in the Indonesian rainforest.

Sarah glanced back at Malcolm, who's staring at her in disapproval. "From dating tall men."she replied, earning some laughs from the Kratt Bros.

"To the Creature Rescue!"

 _ ****** Elsewhere...******_

In the jungle, Ludlow approached a small clearing where he found Roland bent over a stake in the ground, chaining something to it. It was the baby tyrannosaur, alive and kicking, squealing and snapping his jaws in protest. Realizing he was no longer alone, Roland looked up.

"Incentive,"said the outdoorsman simply, explaining the chained infant.

Ludlow laughed, shaking his head. Half in the bag, he took a bottle of scotch and offered one to Roland. The hunter declined. The businessman noticed Roland's gun leaning against a nearby tree. "What kind of gun is that?"he asked curiously.

"My father's .600 Nitro Express." Roland answered. "Made in 1904. Karimojo Bell gave it to him after he took down his last elephant. 8700 foot pounds of striking force, each barrel."

"How close do you have to be?"

"Forty yards. Less, maybe. I assume it'll take a slug in the brain case to bring him down."

"Why not just use a scope and a poison dart and snipe him from the hill?"

The outdoorsman cast him a disdainful look. "Or a laser from from a satellite?"

"You think this'll draw the adult?"asked Ludlow doubtfully.

"Never underestimate parental instinct. I once saw a bull elephant kill itself charging a jeep. All the jeep had done was startle the bull's calves. I've seen lionesses carry wounded prey four and a half miles, all the way back to their dens, just to teach the cubs to finish off a kill."

"Killing lessons? Heartwarming."

"Rex won't be any different. It'll come."

Ludlow took another drink and shook his head, the liquor getting to him. "You're kidding yourself, or I'd be worried. An adult T-rex cares about one thing and one thing only: filling its own belly. It acts the way people wish they could, that's why everyone's fascinated by it. If people had the chance to see one dinosaur and one only, ninety-nine percent would–" Here he paused, an idea on his face. "Wait. Why not? Sedatives... growth inhibitors... surgery to shorten its tendons, make it immobile.."

"What?"

"I hadn't planned on bringing carnivores back because of the liability risk, until Mr. Varmitech and Chef Gourmand convinced me otherwise; I only thought of adults, it never occurred to me–" at this point, the InGen CEO leaned in close to the restrained animal, patting his head. "But you wouldn't be any trouble at all, would you? And the entire world would pay to watch you grow up. You are a billion dollar idea, my little friend–"

With a sudden _WHOOSH_ , a striped figure raced through the underbrush right behind Ludlow. Startled, he spun around to get away from the unseen creature, but in doing so he lost his balance, getting tangled up in his own feet and stepped right on top of the baby rex's leg. The bone breaks with a dry _SNAP_ and the little dinosaur howled in pain.

Roland lunged forward with the speed of a striking cobra, shoving Ludlow out of the way as he bent over the injured animal that continued to cry out in pain, one of its long legs bent at an odd angle.

"Damn it, you've broken its leg!"exclaimed the hunter angrily as he reached out, snatching the bottle of scotch away from Ludlow's grasp. Angry and embarrassed, the businessman turned abruptly and stalked away back towards the camp, trying to salvage his dignity. Roland watched him go in disgust before returning to his vigil.

 ******** _ **Back In The Camp... ******_

At the edge of the hunters' camp, Chris, Martin, Aviva, Laura, Sarah, and Nick scrambled down a hillside and stopped at the edge of the laser barriers. There were three red beams, each about two feet apart, the tallest almost six feet off the ground.

"Okay... so how are we gonna get past that?"asked Nick.

The Wild Kratts exchanged knowing glances before Aviva stepped forward, a joystick controller in hand. Before the puzzled cameraman could remark to that, the elongated Robot Arm extended out of the inventor's pack, wrapping its tubular coils around the other five before slowly lifting them well over the other side of the fence. Once they were over the opposite side, Chris motioned to his girlfriend who was now alone on the other end. "C'mon, Aviva!"he encouraged with open arms.

The inventor winked as she backed up a few steps, before jogging right at the lasers, springing vertically off the ground. Once airborne, Aviva made several flips in midair until she landed bridal style into the young Kratt's arms, much to the silent admiration of the other four. "Gotcha!"

"Thanks, Chris."she whispered dreamily, planting a soft kiss on his lips, earning a goofy smile from the creature adventurer who was oblivious to the shared smirks of the boys and the puppy eyes of the girls.

Further along, the six of them crept along stealthily, hiding behind a stack of fuel barrels. They leaned around the edge for a quick look around, now directly behind the row of vehicles. Moving quickly into the open, the group covered the ground between them and the jeeps. Reaching them, Nick hit the dirt and wriggled under the first one, bolt cutter in hand. Aviva did likewise, only she carried what looked to be an ordinary pen. All the while, Laura, Sarah and the Kratt Bros kept a lookout for potential trouble.

Under his perspective Jeep, Nick found what he was looking for: the Jeep's fuel line. With a clean cut of his bolt cutter, the cameraman severed the the cord. He ducked out of the way just as the stream of fuel began to pour into the dirt.

Nick stood with his arms crossed, satisfied with his dirty work... until he saw Aviva crawl out from under the last car standing, a proud smirk on her face. His jaw dropped. "How did you–?"

"Razor pen."she replied smugly, holding up the pen, revealing a saw blade at the end.

"Pfft. Show off."he muttered.

"Good work, guys."said Chris, congratulating the two saboteurs.

"Let's see them try to recapture the dinosaurs _now."_ added the Kratt in blue with a mischievous grin, rubbing his hands together.

With that, all of the vehicles were disabled. The motor pool area was now a soggy lake of spilled gasoline.

The six saboteurs walked casually across the camp, unnoticed in the drunken revelry of the men, but took cover from any approaching Zachbots. After narrowly avoiding a trio of passing machines, they peered over a stack of wooden crates.

"Okay, we'll split up into teams: Martin, you and Laura go and rescue those eggs from Gourmand. Sarah, you and Nick go to the holding pens to free the other dinosaurs. Aviva and I will take care of Donita."

"But what about the men?"asked Laura. "The minute they suspect anything amiss, we'll be facing down gun barrels."

"Don't worry; they'll have their hands full of bigger problems pretty soon."replied the Kratt in green with a wink as he pushed a contact on his Creaturepod. "This is Green Backpack to Amber. Come in Amber."

In a heartbeat, the young dinosaur's mechanical voice was heard on the other line. _**"This is Amber. Go Green Backpack."**_

"Listen Amber, we're in the camp, but this joint's full of InGen hunters. I need you and the pack to create a distraction to keep them busy. But don't let them see you."

 _ **"Okay Tokay!"**_

The hunters were lounging around the cafe or in their perspective tents each minding their own business, when, without warning, the perimeter alarm sounded followed by a sharp barking call echoing somewhere in the darkness. Soon a series of bloodcurdling shrieks were heard in the surrounding jungle outside of camp that caused chills to crawl up any passerby's' spines. To the untrained ear, the eerie choruses could easily have been interpreted as the wild hunting call of a pack of lethal prehistoric predators. The camp was under attack.

On the other side of camp came the alarmed cries of the captured dinosaurs, the haunting shrieks causing them to become uneasy and thrash about in their cages. But the newly captive Velociraptors screamed in a wild frenzy, lending their voices to the chilling choruses, adding to the herbivores' sense of worry.

In an instant, shouts were heard around the camp as the men were now on their feet, guns at the ready, as they filed out of the forest's edge to dispatch the looming threat. But the unseen creatures never revealed themselves, and their cries seemed to come from every point of the compass.

The Kratt Brothers smirked. "Told ya,"

" _Zachbots! Robo-raptors! Go silence that racket!_ "shouted Zach's nasally voice somewhere around the center of camp. In that instant, a platoon of the inventor's mechanical minions followed the human hunters to do their master's bidding.

"Heads up, girl. Incoming Zachbots! Tell Tiger Claw and the others to be on their toes!"warned Martin over his brother's Creaturepod.

 _ **"Do not worry; we will take care of Vermin-tech's chew toys!"**_ the young raptor replied, and the rescue team could hear her snap her jaws at the end of the sentence. Payback time. _**"Amber out."**_ With that, the younger Kratt hung up.

"Guys? Are they gonna be okay with that mad scientist's rust buckets?"asked Nick worriedly.

"They'll be fine."answered Chris in reassurance. "The only reason the Robo-raptors could even capture half the pack in the first place was because they snuck up on them. This time, the pack will be waiting."

"Besides, Amber _eats_ Zachbots for breakfast!"added Martin confidently.

"Anyway, you guys remember the plan?"asked Chris. The whole team nodded. "Let's do this."

"To the Dino Rescue!" With that silent acclamation, the three teams went in different parts of the settlement.

Once they had parted ways with the rest of the team, the photographer and the paleontologist continued their way across the camp until they arrived at the other side to face a whole menagerie of caged animals, both predator and prey, young and old, from the mightiest of giants to the tiniest of creatures.

"Whoah..."

 _ ****** Meanwhile...******_

Martin and Laura cautiously made their way to the mobile kitchen that belonged to a certain notorious chef. Thanks to Amber and the other Velociraptors' diversion, the cafe was now deserted and emptied of people. Emptied that is, except for Gourmand who swept the wooden floorboards, humming to himself.

"Now how are we gonna slip in past Gourmand?"mused Martin thoughtfully. A frontal entry was completely out of the question.

"This way."whispered Laura, gesturing Martin to follow. The pair snuck around the back where they climbed in from the rooftop. Using her shotel sword, the African ranger carved a clean hole into the roof where she and the Kratt in blue silently poured into the kitchen.

"Great idea!"the older Kratt silently congratulated before his wandering eyes caught sight of something that caused a gasp to escape his lips, baby blue eyes widened in horror. Dangling over their heads were the butchered remains of the less fortunate. Even in the past, the Kratt Brothers were not always successful in their rescue operations; there were many casualties over the years, each more bitter than the last. These losses such as the deceased hanging on the meat racks served to further spark their determination to protect the creatures they loved, and also as a reminder of the consequences should this mission fail.

"We're so sorry," Martin whispered sadly, trying to control the tears that threatened to burst. He then felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and he turned his attention to Laura who looked upon him with compassion. In her former line of work, it was not unusual to lose an animal, or even a fellow ranger, to poachers.

"It may be too late for them, but not all is lost. Look." She pointed to a series of cages containing various animals of different sizes, both predator and prey, cold and cramped but alive.

In an instant, Martin's gloom vanished, replaced with newfound determination. His eyes glanced in different directions until they found what they were looking for: a large brown potato sack filled with dinosaur eggs of various sizes and colors.

"The eggs!"cried the Kratt in blue, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "You get the dinosaurs out of those cages. I'll get the eggs." The ranger nodded as she wasted no time in hacking the cage locks open with her axes. Once liberated, the dinosaurs wasted no time in bolting for freedom.

The creature adventurer was just a hair's length away from the stolen eggs when– "Well, hello Blue Berry."

Martin froze in his tracks, recognizing that southern accent. Standing between him and the sack of dinosaur eggs was none other than the endangered species chef; his sensitive nose must have caught the smell of intruders long before the noise created by the fleeing dinosaurs.

"Gourmand."he replied with a glare.

The chef met his glare with a knowing smile. "Looking for these?"

"Just step away from those dinosaur eggs, nice and easy."

"Oh, I will– _if_ you can handle my pastry dough!" In that instant, the illegal chef pulled out his dough blaster and opened fire, bellowing a wild yell. Martin wasted no time in skillfully evading the projectiles, thanks to years of experience.

"You can't poach those eggs, Gourmand!"the Kratt in blue protested as he continued to dodge flying pastry dough. "Those are probably the first dinosaur eggs laid in sixty-five million years!"

"Exactly."replied the chef with a sinister grin. "And I'm gonna be the first to serve dinosaur egg omelette supreme!"

"Not if _I_ have anything to say about it!" Martin retorted.

"Well I've got news for you, Blue Berry."drawled the chef, growing more and more frustrated with each shot missed, " I am sick and tired of you and Green Grape always stealin' my ingredients! You two have been the eggshells in my omelet for far too long."

"Nice try, Gourmy!"taunted the creature adventurer, ducking to avoid a dough ball aimed for his head. "You'll have to do better than that!"

Without warning, a set of bolas wrapped themselves around Martin's legs, causing him to fall face first on the wooden floorboards. "Ahh! Oof! Me and my big mouth."

A large shadow loomed over the fallen Kratt as Gourmand stood on top of him, armed with a massive meat cleaver now raised over his head.

"Now, I'm gonna gut you like a fish!"

Martin forced his eyes shut as he awaited the final blow. _CLANG!'_ But the cold steel never came.

"Huh? What in tarnation?!"Gourmand found himself locking blades with what looked to be a Girl Scout armed with a long curved sword.

"Freeze you diseased rhinoceros pizzle!"growled the chef's new enemy.

"Hey! Who's your lady friend?"asked the puzzled chef, green eyes still locked on the piercing blues of his new adversary whom he had never met before.

Martin blushed bright red. "Actually, Gourmand, she's not my–"

"It would be wise for you to put the weapon down."warned the ranger sternly, her shotel still locked with the butcher's cleaver.

"Oh yeah? And some little girly's gonna stop me?"asked the illegal chef mockingly, dismissing her bold talk as an idle threat.

"I warned you." It was all she said before, with the speed of a striking adder, Laura slashed at Gourmand who had just enough time to block with his cleaver.

Thereupon began a clash of steel as meat cleaver met shotel, the two combatants exchanging and blocking strikes. "Way to go, Laura!"cheered Martin, completely forgetting about his predicament as he watched the two clash, both fighters evenly matched, reminding him of two stags locked in combat. But the tide of the battle changed as the ranger's swordsmanship and fighting experience gained the upper hand over the chef who was beginning to tire. The creature adventurer looked upon her with awe and admiration; she was as pretty as a flower but she stung like a bee.

"Martin! The eggs!"

"Huh? Oh! Oh right!"the Kratt in blue broke out of his trance to continue the task at hand. With his legs still immobilized, he army crawled his way to the sack of stolen eggs. Once he was near enough, he untied his legs to allow himself to stand up on his feet, sack over his shoulder.

"Don't worry; you're safe now."he whispered to the unborn dinosaurs before calling out to the ranger. "I got the eggs!"

Seeing the Kratt in blue with his stolen prize, Gourmand's blood boiled like a pot of hot water.

"Oh, no you don't!" With a tremendous shove, the illegal chef sent Laura tumbling into a stack of barrels before charging straight for Martin. "Gimme back my eggs!"

The older Kratt stood his ground, ready to protect these eggs at any cost. Unbeknownst to either Martin or Gourmand, a metallic flash spiraled overhead, severing a number of ropes hanging from the ceiling.

The burly cook delivered a strong punch to the creature adventurer's stomach before grabbing him by his collar. "Now you're gonna get it, Wild Kratt crouton!"he threatened, bringing his foe's blue eyes into direct contact with his own blazing green ones.

Something from the corner of his eye caused the Kratt in blue to glance upward. "Uhh Gourmand?"

The fry cook looked up to see where Martin pointed. His eyes widened as he spied a sack of flour falling straight for him. "Yikes!" But by then, it was too late for Gourmand to retreat as the falling sack scored a direct hit to his head.

"Oof!" In a white cloud, the chef slumped to the wooden floorboards with a crash, the wind knocked out of him.

"And that's how the cookie crumbles!" Martin cracked, dusting himself, once he was freed from the chef's clutches. "Sorry, Gourmand. I'd love to stay around and chat, but we gotta go!" With that, he retrieved the sack of eggs and made a beeline for the exit.

The fallen chef slowly rose to his feet, sputtering and coughing, covered from head to toe in spilled flour giving him the appearance of an overweight ghost. "Hey! Get back here! I'm not through wi– what?!" Deep growls stopped the endangered species chef's rant altogether as he turned to look from behind. Gourmand soon found himself face to face with a formidable set of dagger-like teeth as an agitated Herrerasaurus stood crouched upon the counter. On either side of the twenty foot carnivore were more of his kind, all three of them looking upon the chef with hungry green eyes.

"St-stay back!"Gourmand stammered, waving a spatula in defense only for the lead predator to lunge forward, biting down upon the kitchen utensil with two foot jaws that snapped it in half almost effortlessly.

Options limited and now totally defenseless, Gourmand took off with surprising speed for one of his size, screaming fearfully.

As one theropod frantically chased the fry cook around the restaurant, knocking aside the tables in the process, the others made short work of the meat racks, devouring all that was left of the butchered dinosaurs, greedily gobbling down chunks of flesh with each bite.

"You haven't seen the last of me!"screamed the fleeing Gourmand, the angry Herrerasaur still hot on his tail.

"There goes a really bad egg."said Martin as he and Laura witnessed the entire fiasco from behind a stack of wooden crates. The blonde ranger rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Oh. Thanks for having my back, Laura."

"Hakuna matata."she replied with a wink, retrieving a Hunga Munga that was imbedded in an overhanging shelf. Nearby was the severed rope that once held the sack of flour.

"I _do_ believe it's time for us to meet up with the others."

"You're right."replied the Kratt in blue. "Time to make like eggs and roll!"

 _ ****** Elsewhere...******_

In another part of the camp, Chris and Aviva had just come within sight of Donita's tent. They were halfway to their destination when something caught the Kratt in green's acute ears. Curiosity stirred, he slipped by a nearby tent to investigate. Aviva promptly followed until both leaned in close to the threshold without revealing themselves.

"I'm telling ya Pete, we can sell these animals for parts, especially the horns of those tricycloplots or whatever they're called."

Chris' eyes narrowed. He knew Zach Varmitech's voice anywhere. What could he want with Triceratops horns?

"Are you sure that'll even be legal?"asked another voice with a British accent. Chris and Aviva immediately guessed it was Ludlow.

"Pfft. Legal shmegal."the robotics inventor scoffed. "They're your property, aren't they? They won't have the same protections given to rhinos, and one pound of rhino horn already sells for $60,000 in the black market. Those far eastern whack jobs think it has medical properties. If people pay top dollar for rhino horn, how much more would they pay for the rare horns of a dinosaur?"

"I'm beginning to see your point."

"Best part of all, your lab can always whip up plenty more. We'll sell millions and we'll make billions!"the last part ended with an evil laugh. Chris scowled at this diabolical plan; it seemed that not only will InGen once again place the animals in captivity, but they were also willing to sell an unlucky few to be marketed in the illegal wildlife trade. This was certainly not what Hammond would want.

It took all of the creature adventurer's nerve and the inventor's soft hand on his shoulder to prevent him from springing into action; they could settle things with them later. Leaving the scheming pair behind, the couple continued on with the task at hand, now silently sneaking along the pink threshold. The pair carefully peaked inside, and the sight that greeted their eyes was Donita Donata experimenting with various plumed dinosaurs who were powerless to run away or fight back. Close by, Dabio stood before a mirror, admiring his reflection as he was adorned with a living hat and scarf.

"Oviraptor, Archaeopteryx, Kulindadromeus, Sinosauropteryx, Anchiornis, Sinornithosaurus."the younger Kratt counted quietly.

"There's Bristles."added Aviva, pointing to an immobilized Psittacosaurus seated before an armchair. "And Poe and his flock." That part was directed towards a raven black Microraptor curled up in a ball, giving him the appearance of a feathery beret. The rest of his flock were locked in cages, further secured by surrounding pose-beams.

"We gotta deactivate that pose-beam control." Chris whispered, his eyes fixed on the glowing pink sphere that hung over the ceiling. "I'll distract Donita and Dabio, while you sneak in and take out the pose-beams and free the animals. Now where'd I put that feather?"here the younger Kratt searched his backpack until– "Here it is!" In his hand was an inky black feather. "Now all I need is–"

"Need this?"asked Aviva, holding up–

"A Microraptor Power Disk!"exclaimed the Kratt in green with excitement before planting a quick peck on his girlfriend's cheek. This earned a giggle from the inventor. "Thanks Aviva!"

Taking a raven-black feather from his pocket, Chris then pushed the paw print button on his vest. "Activate Microraptor Power!" In a brilliant flash of green light, the creature adventurer transformed into a four-winged theropod small enough to perch on Aviva's shoulder.

"Let's do this!"said Micro Chris as he flew like an arrow into the fray.

"To the Creature Rescue!"

The animal fashion designer had just pose-beamed a cage full of Procompsognathus when– "Hold it right there, Donita!"shouted a familiar voice. Looking over her shoulder, Donita spied a green Microraptor standing on her desk, wings on his hips in defiance.

If the fashion designer was surprised, she didn't in the least show it. "Oh hello, Chrisangelo. What a surprise."

"I would release those compys if I were you." Chris began with the bluntness of a hammer. "We could do this the easy way, or we could do this the hard way. Whichever way you choose–"

Donita promptly cut him off. "Bored now. Mannequins! Get him!"

The minute the order was given, five flying mannequins assembled around the table, completely surrounding the Kratt in green whose eyes widened. "Uh-oh!" _Why do they always have to go with the hard way?_

In a flash, the green Microraptor pounced upon the head of the mannequin standing in front of him before promptly gliding onto another, aided by his four wings. Chris continued to fly in different directions within the confines of the tent, preventing his pursuers from scoring a good shot at this moving target. The wild goose– or rather raptor chase went on until Micro Chris suddenly lost all control of his body movements, helplessly plopping to the floor. As the mannequins once again had him surrounded, Donita cackled as she approached the Kratt in green who was now under her mercy, master controller in hand. "Game over for you, Chris Kratt. Any last words?"

To her surprise though, the young Kratt simply smirked. "As a matter of fact, I do have something to say: Now Aviva!"

In that moment, the inventor sprang out of cover. Pressing a button on the M.I.K strapped to her back, Aviva then held what looked to be a shoulder-mounted satellite dish, and its beam was focused directly on the mannequins surrounding Chris.

"Sonic disruptor blast!" Taking aim, Aviva unleashed a sonic blast powerful enough to stop the mannequins in their tracks, causing them to short circuit and collapse in heaps. Another well aimed blast took out the main pose-beam, shattering it.

"Way to go, Aviva!" Micro Chris cheered, all mobility returning to his limbs.

No longer under the pose-beam's control, the newly freed dinosaurs began to wreak havoc inside the tent, knocking over props, flying within the confines and rummaging through storage boxes full of scarfs and coats. The newly reanimated Psittacosaurus ripped page after page from the designer's sketch pad, chewing the torn papers in his parrotlike beak. A pair of crested Oviraptors jumped unto the desk, scattering its contents with their three-toed feet as they showed off their winged arms in display to each other.

"They're making a mess on my desk!"cried Donita. "Stop them!" The fashionista's brawny henchman immediately rushed in with a net in hand. But despite his best efforts of recapturing the animals, they managed to stay out of grabbing range. By then, the damage had already been done.

"All I wanted was pretty dino-birds to make feathery fashion accessories."lamented the fashionista, falling to her knees. "Now all I got are kooky dino-birds making a mess of my tent!" Just then, a three-foot winged raptor with reddish brown plumage leaped onto the fashionista's hair, much to her dismay.

"Help! Another reptile-bird flew in an flattened my hair style!"screamed the fashion designer, thrashing around wildly to get the theropod out of her hair. Literally. "Get it! Get it before it lays an egg on my head!"

"Hey Donita!"said Chris from his place perched upon the hat rack. "Did anyone tell you that the Sinornithosaurus has a venomous bite?"

The fashionista's eyes widened in dread as she forced herself to look up. The feathered theropod perched on her head spread out its wings in threat as it hissed menacingly, exposing its small, dagger-like teeth.

"Ahhh!"she screamed, shaking like hell as she tried to dislodge the venomous dinosaur from her head. "Get it off! Get it off!"

Dabio raced to Donita's aid. "Coming, Donita! Shoo! Shoo!" But in his attempts to ward off the Sinornithosaurus only seemed to provoke it. With an angry hiss, the winged theropod sank its fangs into the henchman's beefy right hand.

"Oww! He bit me!" Dabio cradled his bitten hand before he started to lose balance. In a matter of seconds, the brawny henchman fell flat on his back, completely knocked out by the toxins as Donita looked on in horror. Having had enough, the Sinornithosaurus made a break for the exit along with the other liberated animals.

"Don't worry; the venom only has a mildly narcotic effect."reassured the inventor sweetly. "He'll be up and running again in two hours."

Chris then flew upon Aviva's shoulder, glaring down upon the defeated fashionista. "These dinosaurs shouldn't be part of your fashion line, Donita! They deserve to be living free and in the wild!"

By then, she was already dragging an unconscious Dabio out of the ruined tent. "You can have your feathered dinosaurs! I think I liked them better when they were extinct!"

"Mission accomplished!"cheered Micro Chris once the defeated fashionista and her downed henchman left the scene.

"C'mon, sweetie! We gotta meet up with the others!"his girlfriend reminded. Having accomplished their goal, the couple raced out of the pink tent to join their teammates.

 _ ****** Back with Nick & Sarah...******_

Nick and Sarah stood before a large cage which contained a large male Stegosaurus. But it wasn't just any Stegosaur.

"Trident."whispered the redhead as they walked along the side of the enclosure, recognizing the scarred individual with broken plates and three tail spikes. Still breathing heavily as the effects of the tranquilizers slowly wore off, Trident turned his head look at his rescuers before bellowing loudly, dorsal plates bristling. Nick and Sarah walked around to the front of the cage, lifting a large pin out of the cage lock. They slowly opened the gate that gently creaked.

After releasing Trident and others of his kind, the cameraman quickly got to work, unlocking other cages including one with a baby Triceratops and a cantankerous Styracosaurus. He then walked over to a larger pen holding a couple of Pachycephelosaurus. The dome-headed herbivores bleated loudly, one of them anxiously banging its skull against the bars as Nick pulled the cage's pin. Nearby, Sarah was busy opening up a cage holding the baby Stegosaurus from earlier that afternoon.

And finally the pair reached the largest cages, which housed some fully grown Triceratops, each the size of a pickup truck. A big male snorted upon sensing the humans' presence, sending a cloud of steam into the air. Nick hesitated for a moment. The lock on the Trike's cage wasn't like the others; it was more tightly secured to contain such a dangerous animal. Nick pulled out his trusty bolt cutters before making short work of the lock.

Once all the plant-eaters were set loose, some slowly lumbering out of their enclosures while others wasted no time in scurrying for the safety of the forest, the duo turned their attention to their more daunting prospect: freeing the myriads of deadly predators who snarled and snapped as they drew near. Some anxiously paced in circles around their cages. Others gnashed their teeth on bars that wouldn't give in to even their terrifying might.

Suddenly a chirp from behind summoned the pair's attention. Turning around, they came into close contact with a very familiar face.

"Clawjumper!" Held within a maximum security steel cage was the timid white raptor who rubbed her face against the bars, chuffing and wagging her tail in happiness as Nick and Sarah drew closer. And she wasn't alone; in surrounding enclosures were Slasher, Makucha, Patchy and other members of the pack, both young and old. "The pack!"

To the pair's horror, many of the raptors sustained bruises and burn marks, the latter likely from electric prods. Slasher, who had fought the hardest against his captors, was bleeding from a number of flesh wounds, fortunately none of which were serious.

"What have they done to you?"asked the paleontologist, gently stroking the side of Clawjumper's face.

"Don't worry, guys. We're gonna bust you out."reassured the photographer, holding up his bolt cutters. Several broken locks later and the newly freed Velociraptors darted out of their cages in a heartbeat, stretching their limbs and relishing in the taste of freedom.

But the humans and raptors were promptly startled by a deep, ominous rumbling from close by. Glancing over at the source, they were quickly reminded of their other carnivorous neighbors: a ravenous male Allosaurus staring at them with a hungry gaze of his glassy eyes, jaws salivating. Measuring thirty feet long, weighing over two tons, and armed with knifelike teeth and three-fingered hands bristling with razor sharp talons, he could easily devour a human or any smaller theropod if the opportunity arose.

The raptors wisely retreated a few steps away from the larger predator's enclosure.

"We better be careful; some of these guys can be very unpredictable and dangerous."warned the redhead.

"How comforting."replied Nick sarcastically. "Now how are we gonna free these guys without having our heads bitten off?"

"Perhaps _we_ can be of assistance."

From different corners of camp, the rest of the rescue team had arrived to finish what they had started.

"Guys! You're all just in time!"said Sarah.

"Finished saving the feathered dinosaurs from being part of Donita's next line of fashion."stated Chris, wrapping an arm around Aviva's waist.

"We rescued the dinosaur eggs from Gourmand."added Martin, gesturing to the sack of eggs he carried over his shoulder.

"And taught him a lesson."said Laura toying with one of her throwing axes.

Sarah was ecstatic. "That's great!"

A guttural warble from behind immediately brought everyone's attention to the liberated Velociraptors standing on the sidelines. The effect was instantaneous.

"The raptor pack! They're all okay!"exclaimed the younger Kratt joyfully, rushing up to them. Not only were these raptors creatures to be saved, but they were also very close friends.

"Kipanga's gonna be happy to see you."cooed the inventor as she scratched under Patchy's chin, earning a rumbling purr from the masked female.

Martin did a full headcount. ".. Patchy, Makucha, Slash. Well, that's everyone–" suddenly his blue eyes widened with a gasp. "Where are the hatchlings?"

Chris was quick to respond to the call of duty. "I'll go look for them." He then raced off into another part of the camp. "Don't wait up!"

"We freed most of the plant eaters."said the cameraman.

"But the sauropods are still being contained in that force field. Neither one of us could unlock it."informed the bone-digger.

"Leave the force field to _me."_ replied Aviva with a wink before racing off to disable the security system and free the towering long necked vegetarians.

"Great. Then that leaves me with–" Martin's eyes widened in sudden realization. "The predators."

All eyes were upon the caged Allosaurus who growled menacingly, his pupils narrowed into slits.

"Easy big guy. We're here to help. Don't eat the help!" The massive dinosaur snapped his jaws, earning a startled yelp from the Kratt in blue.

In that moment, Laura boldly made her way forward, withdrawing a raw tenderloin from her vest as she approached the cage. The Allosaur's rumbling growl's ceased once its nostrils picked up the smell of food, hunger winning out over caution.

The steak never left Laura's hand until a set powerful jaws took the morsel in their grasp before gulping the meat down its gullet.

"Easy, big one." Laura said softly, gently stroking the beast's snout. "Easy. We mean you no harm. What kind of idiot would do such a thing to such a magnificent beast?" The theropod's growls died down as he became more relaxed.

"Friends?" She was answered by a friendlier rumble followed by a blast of hot air from the Allosaur's nostrils. "You're welcome." Laura then turned to Martin with a nod.

The creature adventurer smiled in response. As soon as they got the okay from the ranger, Martin approached the Allosaur's cage once more while Sarah and Nick looked on in amazement. "What can we say? Laura definitely has a way with creatures."said the Kratt in blue. Without another moment to waste, he reached out to touch the predatory dinosaur.

"Activate Allosaurus Power!"

The creature adventurer was engulfed in a vibrant flash of blue. Once it cleared, in the spot Martin once stood, now stood a blue Allosaurs towering over the humans. The captive dinosaur could only tilt his big head in confusion. The blue carnivore looked at his partners in crime, a mischievous glint in his eye."Hang on everyone. We may encounter some turbulence." No more was said as Martin leaned forward, effortlessly tearing off the lock of the cage with his powerful jaws before moving on to the other theropod cages. Sarah, Nick, Laura and the raptors retreated a good distance away.

All hell was about to break loose.

In one of the hunter tents, Mr. Ludlow leaned over the satellite recon pictures of the island, planning the next day's assault with Dieter, Zach, and Dr. Burke. There were small wooden dinosaur models scattered around the photos, indicating where certain species could be found. Close by was a large pet carrier which contained a dozen or so baby Velociraptors huddled together, shaking fearfully as they watched their kidnappers from behind bars.

"The good news is we're already more than sixty percent of the way through our manifest for this trip,"stated the paleontologist.

"And the bad news?"inquired the businessman.

"Our veterinarian inadvertently sedated two hadrosaurs right into a coma,"mumbled Dieter.

"So what?"waved the inventor dismissively.

"That's inexcusable."said Ludlow.

"Not really, tranquilizing is an inexact science, it's completely dependent on the metabolism of the individual animal, and since no one had any... any.." Burke trailed off as a low rumbling sound could be heard outside, and the little wooden dinosaurs started shaking on the board. The trio look at each other. The rumbling got louder. Shouts could be heard.

"What in Christ's name was that?"asked the head of InGen.

"Must be thunder." Zach mused.

The rumbling continued. The dinosaur figurines started hopping and bouncing from the vibrations, the shouts outside slowly becoming screams, the three men turned to look at the back of the tent– when suddenly the thundering bulk of a fully grown Triceratops bursted right through the canvas!

" _Jesus Christ!"_

The table in the middle of the tent turned over, spilling its contents everywhere as Ludlow, Zach, Dieter, and Burke were forced to flee. And if any one of them had the time to look over their shoulders, they would have seen a certain Kratt in green making off with the crate and its precious cargo.

Hunters were sent flying as the tent-covered ceratopsian, its three horns tearing through the canvas, rumbled across the camp, ramming into a nearby Jeep, causing it to fly in the air. Men shouted in alarm as the ten-ton herbivore bellowed in anger and confusion, blinded by the shroud covering its eyes. In its panic, the blinded beast charged right through the fire in the middle of the camp, causing the tent to burst into flames. Maddened with pain, the Trike panicked and lashed out in all directions, blasting through tents, demolishing everything in its path.

Now the tables had turned; swarms of compys quickly scampered for the safety of the trees, followed by three screaming men being chased by an angry Allosaurus hot on their tails. Men ran everywhere. A swift running Gallimimus raced across the blazing campsite while a boneheaded Pachycephalosaurus charged after some of the hunters who were now fleeing for safety. The thundering sauropod dinosaurs, now freed from their sophisticated confines, unleashed their devastating power upon any tent or vehicle in their path, swatting them aside with their powerful tails and trampling them underfoot while the minuscule humans had to scatter to avoid the stomping, pillar-like legs which shook the very earth with each step.

The rest of the newly-freed dinosaurs, large and small, now stormed through the camp. The red laser barriers bounced crazily and went out as the sending units were trampled underfoot by the stampeding animals. Martin, Chris, Aviva, Sarah, Nick, Laura and the newly freed raptors took advantage of the disabled lasers and the chaotic diversion to slip past the borders of the camp and disappear into the jungle's dark depths.

"Creature mission accomplished!"exclaimed the Kratt Brothers once they were far away from the ongoing pandemonium. Now freed from their boxlike prison, the baby Velociraptors were reunited with their pack elders who wasted no time in leading them to the safety of the underbrush to rejoin the pack somewhere within the darkness.

"All these dinosaurs are back where they belong, living free and in the wild!"said Chris, using his signature line as they watched droves of dinosaurs, large and small, both predator and prey, returning to the primordial forest they called home.

"I think they learned their lesson."panted Nick.

Just then, several fiery explosions sounded in the background, causing everyone to jump in fright.

"Jesus!"

A moment of awkward silence. "Yup. They definitely learned their lesson."said Sarah, breaking the ice.

"Alas, gentlemen!" Martin exclaimed, looking over the demolishing campsite as though the hunters could see or hear him over the chaos. "This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught the Kratt Brothers!"

Aviva rolled her eyes in amusement, whereas Sarah and Laura burst into full on laughter.

"Okay. I caught that reference."chuckled Nick.

"Really? Okay, that was lame, even for you, bro.." Chris rolled his eyes, not amused by the movie quote.

The older Kratt chuckled. "What? I thought it was cool.."

"Whatever. Let's just get out of here."

 _ ****** Sorry for the long wait. This chapter was OVER 9,000! Literally. More than 9,000 words, this has to be the longest piece I've ever written. Just so much to add: new species, deleted and extended scenes, and plenty of that Wild Kratts action we all love..**_


	9. Little Chomper

As the night grew darker and darker, the nightly calls of the nocturnal creatures, some of which that were reminiscent of a chorus from a bygone era, made themselves heard around Isla Sorna, giving the isle a sense of peace and tranquility. But deep in the jungle, below the forest canopy, it couldn't be further from the truth; all was complete and utter chaos as Tiger Claw's Velociraptors engaged Zach's mechanical minions in a brutal battle fought with tooth and claw.

The cunning raptors had set an ambush on the approaching Zachbots, dispatching them with relative ease, thanks to Amber's experience in taking down the robots. But the Robo-raptors proved to be much more formidable adversaries, even with the element of surprise in their favor. And they were badly outnumbered.

One mechanical predator managed to pin Tiger Claw under its weight, its snapping jaws trying to reach his neck, attempting to end the life of its prey. But the young leader was able to throw off his attacker using his powerful hind legs, sending the Robo-raptor crashing against a nearby tree.

The striped raptor had barely caught his breath when he felt himself being tackled to the ground by two more. Tiger Claw struggled and fought with all his might, but he found himself overpowered by the two robots bent on his destruction. The downed dinosaur bared his teeth in a hateful hiss, his green eyes glaring hard into the unblinking red orbs of his father's slayers that showed no remorse, no emotions whatsoever. One of the Robo-raptors warbled an unearthly shriek as it went in for the kill, exposing rows of silver, bladelike teeth poised to go for its prey's vulnerable jugular with one murderous bite.

But the teeth never came as a flash of orange leaped upon one of the attacking robots, pinning it to the ground. The striped theropod wasted no time in taking advantage of the momentary distraction to grab the other Robo-raptor by the throat. Sparks flew as Tiger Claw ripped away at the wiring and cords, short circuiting everything with a single bite. The disabled machine crashed to the ground, now completely lifeless.

One Robo-raptor down, the young male turned his head and caught a glimpse of Amber tearing her victim's head from its motionless body. Realizing she had an audience, the female raptor turned to meet his gaze, wagging her tail excitedly while the robot's severed head still clung in her jaws. Tiger Claw only stared blankly.

All around them, the battle raged on, but for every foe the raptors felled, more robots seemed to take the place of the fallen. There were just too many of these metal abominations and they had the pack completely surrounded.

The Robo-raptors considered their end game when– " _To the Creature Rescue!_ " A flash of green pounced upon the nearest machine, mercilessly dispatching it in a flurry of teeth and claws. "This one's for you, Master of the Hunt!"

 _ **"Chris!"**_ chirped Amber cheerfully seeing her caretaker in green come to their aid. The creature adventurer, donned in a Velociraptor Power suit, cast the raptor ambassador a smile. "Hi, Amber! Glad we could join you!"

However, the young raptor's joy was short lived upon seeing movement behind the unsuspecting Kratt.

 _ **"Behind you!"**_

Heeding Amber's warning on time, the green raptor turned to see a Robo-raptor pouncing straight for him! But the attacking machine never reached its target as a massive blue figure erupted out of the underbrush, snatching the robotic predator in mid flight, rows of razor sharp teeth making short work of its prey. The minute the Robo-raptor's life was forfeited did the attacker throw the lifeless body against a nearby tree where it slumped to the ground into pieces.

Most of the pack shrieked in alarm as they sidestepped away from Chris' savior: a fearsome Allosaurus, one of their natural enemies. But Amber wagged her tail enthusiastically, recognizing the large predator as–

 _ **"Martin!"**_

"Thanks for the save, bro!"said Chris gratefully, addressing his brother in Allosaur form.

"Hey, what're brothers for?"replied the blue carnosaur, absentmindedly swatting an oncoming robot with his tail. Upon seeing that the blue Allosaurus was no threat, the raptors quickly returned to the battlefield to engage their shared foe. After all, the enemy of one's enemy could be one's friend.

"What do you guys say?"roared the bigger theropod out loud, "Shall we crush these rust buckets?"

In that instant, a series of bloodcurdling shrieks sounded in the darkness, followed by loud rustling among the dense undergrowth before half a dozen more Velociraptors erupted out of the surrounding brush, racing swiftly into the clearing to join their pack mates.

The pack was reunified, ready to strike back in full force. Not far behind the newly freed raptors came Aviva, Laura, and Nick, armed with their weapons of choice; Sonic disruptors, blades, and iron wrench respectively.

 _ **"With the Power of the Pack!"**_ they all shouted in unison.

Now the tides of battle had turned in favor of the raptors who once again had strength in numbers, and help from their unlikely allies, ready to avenge their fallen leader. Slasher and Makucha would gang up on a single machine, taking pleasure in tearing out its life circuitry that spilled from the abdomen and watching it writhe until it could writhe no more; the twins, Malaika, and even shy Clawjumper attacked robot after robot with unstoppable fury, literally tearing them to pieces in seconds. All around them, the older members of the pack made short work of their enemies, reducing them to shining, metallic pieces that littered the jungle floor. As Chris bit and slashed many foes in his Velociraptor form, Martin Allosaurus crushed and trampled several robots with his stomping feet and swinging tail while pulverizing others in his powerful jaws and shredding more with his razor sharp claws, reducing them to scrap metal.

Aviva blasted Robo-raptors left and right with her sonic disruptor beams as Laura sliced and diced with her shotel sword, heads and limbs flying with each swing. One Robo-raptor charged straight for the ranger only to impale itself on the her steady blade.

Three marauding robots ganged up on Slasher when their attacks suddenly ceased. The scarred male rose to his feet to see his three assailants turn on Nick, who was slowly backing away, armed with only a foot long power wrench held before him. The cameraman swung his weapon, only for one of the Robo-raptors to snap its jaws, grabbing the tool in its teeth before wrenching it from Nick's grasp, disarming him. After tossing the wrench away in the thicket, the predators slowly advanced towards their new quarry, forcing him against a large tree. Options limited, with his back against the trunk, the photographer resigned to his fate, awaiting the killer blow...which didn't come.

Nick forced an eye open to see all three of his attackers had fallen; one was felled by a clean shot to the head with a well aimed Hunga Munga axe, another was being thrashed about in the jaws of Martin Allosaurus, and the last one was quickly becoming dismembered as Slasher tore into his downed enemy's metallic abdomen with his toe claws, spilling out its circuits before yanking at them with his teeth.

"You... are seriously twisted."remarked the photographer, watching in rapt horror as the Robo-raptor writhed helplessly under the scarred theropod's weight until stillness claimed it. Slasher snorted at Nick's remark, cocking the human a questioning eye ridge.

"Thank you."said Nick once he found the voice to speak. The reddish brown raptor only gurgled in response, otherwise ignoring the cameraman as he raced off to aid his pack.

"Don't worry; he'll come around."reassured Martin as he joined the photographer, once again in human form.

Nick and Martin were about to join the fray once again when they heard a distant cry recognizable in any language. It was a cry for help. The photographer and the creature adventurer exchanged glances, the same thought on both their minds. Without a word to the others, they bolted for the undergrowth, the Kratt in blue yelling: "We're coming! To the Creature Rescue!"

The pair raced into a nearby jungle clearing where the distress call came from, finding a baby dinosaur chained to a stake, one of its long hind legs hanging at an odd angle. The little animal continued to bleat in pain and fright as his two would be rescuers came closer.

"Sick bastards."cursed Nick, who wasted no time in pulling out the stake buried in the ground while Martin calmed the infant as only he could.

"Don't worry, little guy. You're safe now. We'll get you outta there in no time."

 _ ****** Meanwhile...******_

From his place in the center of the camp, Roland surveyed the devastation. The fire had continued to spread, and standing tents that were not flattened in the stampede were now tongues of flame flapping in the air. Vehicles and equipment laid upon the trampled ground smashed and reduced to scrap metal, and the animals that they had worked so hard to capture were now gone. All around the wreckage, personnel were scattered and terrified. Thankfully there were no severe casualties.

But the big game hunter knew that that was the very least of their concerns; the satellite dish and communication equipment were completely destroyed. There was no contacting the outside world for help.

To make matters even worse, the cargo plane of Zach Varmitech and the pink jet of Donita Donata were nowhere to be seen. They had forsaken them. And of all places, on this godforsaken island where terrifying predators roamed, monsters that could easily prey upon lions and tigers just as a cat would prey upon a mouse.

They were exposed, utterly defenseless. On this island, they were prey.

Peter Ludlow, breathless, his face smeared with dirt and soot, staggered up to the outdoorsman. "What in God's name is going on?"he coughed.

"Isn't it obvious?"replied Tembo, holding up a sniped padlock from one of the animal cages. "We're not alone on this island."

"Who the hell could have done this?"

"I'll tell y'all who!" The pair turned their attention to the new voice and saw none other than Gourmand ambling up to them. The barrel chested chef was covered in sores, dirt and bruises, his chef uniform slightly tattered. "Those good for nothin' Wild Kratt croutons!"

Ludlow inwardly cursed to himself. He should have known.

"Where are Mr. Varmitech and Ms. Donata?"inquired Roland.

"Knowing that scrawny, lily-livered galoot, he probably ditched us." Gourmand replied with no little contempt.

"Maybe they went to get help?"Ludlow suggested.

"Yeah right. When pigs fly."said the illegal chef doubtfully, rolling his eyes at the notion of the self-centered inventor rescuing them out of the goodness of his black heart.

"Is there perhaps any chance that you could fly your plane to the airlift and send for help?"asked the head of InGen.

"I would– _if those pea-brained lummox hadn't wrecked it!_ " Here the chef gestured angrily towards whatever remained of his aircraft, now smashed and battered beyond repair.

"We need to find those saboteurs."stated Tembo seriously.

"Leave that to _me._ " Crawling on all fours, the burly chef used his superhuman sense of smell to find the trail taken by their unwelcome visitors. Any onlookers were puzzled to say the least.

"You cannot possibly find them by simply following your nose, can you?"asked Ludlow skeptically.

"What?"called the illegal chef indignantly. "Why surely you jest. I'll have you know my sense of smell is way better than anyone else's. In fact, it's three times better than any blood hound's, that's for sure." The head of InGen shrugged as Gourmand continued his work.

Half a minute's search brought Gourmand to the edge of the forest where the scent was strongest. "The Wild Kratts are that way!"

Roland and Ajay strolled over to where Gourmand stood. Imprinted on the mud were a series of footprints leading away from the camp. Ajay crouched down, analyzing the trackway. After a careful analysis, the seasoned tracker nodded, confirming everyone's suspicions.

"See? My nose is never wrong."

"Lead the way, Chef Gourmand." the Great White Hunter ordered.

 _ ******Deep in the Jungle...******_

"We're back!"

Aboard the Createrra, Martin and Nick pulled into the jungle clearing where their team and the Velociraptor pack were waiting, the vehicle's bright headlights illuminating the darkness of the forest.

"Martin! Where were you?" Chris asked.

"Sorry about that, dude. We got a little sidetracked."replied the older Kratt.

"No surprise there." Aviva remarked, folding her arms.

"Hey!"called the Kratt in blue, feigning offense. "What'd we miss?"asked Nick, absentmindedly playing with his bolt cutters,

"The good news is that the all of the Robo-raptors have been taken care of."informed the Kratt in green.

 _ **"All in a night's work."**_ added Amber proudly, her head held high, tail wagging in excitement.

"Wait a minute, what about the hunters?"asked the Kratt in blue. "While they're still here, no creature is safe. Not even the pack."

"After the events of tonight, they're probably calling for a flight home."answered the inventor confidently.

"Most of their supply lines are completely trashed. Sooner or later, they'll _have_ to go back to resupply."added Laura as she cleaned her sword. "So until then, the island is safe."

"Then that gives us plenty of time to return these eggs back where they belong,"said Martin, heaving a sigh of relief as he gently patted the sack of eggs sitting in the backseat.

"Living free and with their parents."Chris finished.

 _ **"Do not worry, little ones,"**_ cooed the young raptor sweetly to the unborn dinosaurs. _**"You will be returned to your families."**_

"But first, we're gonna need to get back to the Tortuga so we can identify them."said Sarah. Even though she had excavated many eggs in her field, it was always difficult to determine the exact species of the dinosaurs that laid them. "So I say let's make like eggs and roll." The paleontologist then made her way to the Createrra, reaching for the door handle. Martin and Nick's eyes immediately widened.

"No don't–"warned the photographer. But it was too late. The moment Sarah opened the door, the sight that greeted her eyes were the snapping jaws of a baby Tyrannosaurus sitting in the backseat.

Sarah jumped back with a shriek. Everyone else stared blankly at the strange passenger, eyes as wide as saucers.

"What in the creature world?"

"Dios mio..."

"Hevi kabisa..."

Even Amber and the other Velociraptors couldn't help but look on in curiosity, some tilting their heads.

The paleontologist was the first to break the silence. "Have you two completely lost your minds?! Do you guys have any idea what that is?"

"What _is_ it?"asked the ranger, having never seen this manner of creature before and confused about her friends' reactions.

"It's a Tyrannosaurus rex."answered the redhead dryly. "Juvenile. Probably only two or three weeks old. But that's not the problem."

Before Laura could inquire further, Chris went straight to the point, eyes widened: "Where are his parents?"

"We found him alone and tied to a stake over in the next clearing."answered Martin sadly. "Hmm. He was probably used as bait,"murmured Laura angrily, all too familiar with the cruel tactic used by hunters back in Africa to lure in big game.

"He's got a broken leg."added Nick.

"Ay pobrecito."cooed Aviva, already feeling sorry for the unfortunate creature.

Soon the raptors' curiosity turned to hostility as they hissed and growled, their eyes glaring in the direction of the infant who cowered within the car.

"Uh-oh! The raptors don't look too happy!"said the Kratt in blue.

"What's the matter? It's just a baby."said the photographer.

"For _now_."reminded Sarah gravely. "But they're not about to let him grow up to be an even bigger threat in the future."

"In Africa, lions will kill other carnivores whenever they get half the chance. Especially cubs," Laura informed. "To eliminate the competition."

"Predators don't tolerate other predators in the same environment. They'll compete for food and territory."stated Chris.

While the Velociraptors would never challenge a full grown tyrannosaur, they had no qualms about killing a youngster if it meant ensuring their future survival. With a ferocious scream, Slasher charged for the infant with open jaws. But before he could leap in to finish off this potential rival, a flash of orange intercepted his charge, coming between him and his prey.

 _ **"No, Slasher! You will not harm the little one!"**_ growled Amber, standing protectively before the helpless baby rex. The scarred male shrieked in surprise and anger as he tried to get past the protective female, but his efforts were in vain. Why was she protecting the offspring of one of their most feared and hated enemies? Didn't she know what these monsters were capable of? Patience wearing thin, Slasher snarled threateningly at Amber, poised to strike her down at any moment, but was abruptly thwarted as Tiger Claw approached, ordering him to back off with a snap of his jaws. The scarred raptor reluctantly drew back; he knew better than to question his older brother's authority, especially since he was leader now.

The leader in stripes gave Amber a scrutinizing look, as if demanding an explanation for her actions. The young female lowered her head submissively. _**"I am sorry, Tiger Claw. But he is only very small. He does not pose us any harm."**_ Tiger Claw rolled his green eyes at Amber's naivety; she was too innocent for her own good. But nonetheless, he relented. He could not stay mad at her for too long.

Next to the pair, Malaika, the twins, and Clawjumper approached the infant as close as they dared, cautiously darting in and out, taking turns sniffing. None of them had ever seen a baby tyrannosaur this close and they were keen on satisfying their curiosity. The young T-rex was equally curious as he was undoubtedly too young to have ever seen a Velociraptor before, especially the nice one with the weird shiny bump on her head.

The striped alpha gave the females a warning growl not to approach the tyrannosaur any closer. The females obliged.

"Don't worry about it, Tiger Claw."said the younger Kratt, holding the Raptor Decoder in hand. "He's not gonna stay here too long; we just need to treat his injuries before we return him to his family and out of your hair."

"Then everybody's happy."chimed Martin with a reassuring smile.

As they finished, the gadget in Chris' hand produced the proper translation in Raptorese.

Tiger Claw seemed to mull it over while the rest of the pack stood to the sides, awaiting his decision. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he voiced his response.

 _ **"He says he will allow the baby to stay until he is healed, but not a moment more."**_ Amber translated.

"Then there's not a moment to waste."declared the African ranger, already entering the vehicle.

"Let's get him back to the HQ."said Aviva as she patted the little Tyrannosaurus' head. "We can patch up that leg before returning him to his parents."

"And meantime, Amber. You and Tiger Claw get everyone to a safer place until the hunters have gone." Martin told Amber.

The raptor ambassador nodded. _**"Yes Martin."**_

Once everyone was aboard, the Createrra took off. "To the Tortuga!"

 _ ****** A Few Minutes Later...******_

"...and we only have two good tires for the Createrra left. I've got a really big list. We've really got to get back to the mainland to get supplies like _now."_

The team was once again inside their terrapin headquarters, sheltered from the tropical storm brewing just outside. For what seemed like a full minute, the creature adventurers registered the update from Koki, who held a clipboard in her hands. "You mean we don't have _any_ medical equipment?" Chris inquired.

"Not even a band aid?"asked Martin worriedly, glancing down at the injured Tyrannosaurus cradled in his arms. The baby in question feasted his beady little eyes on the foreign scenery which was both frightful yet inviting.

"Aww, I'm sorry, but we're out of _everything!_ Including painkillers, bandages and other medical equipment. It's time for our Giant Annual Tortuga Resupply."

Nick heaved a sigh of disappointment, shaking his head. "You gotta be kidding me,"

From his place in his respective chair, Jimmy's eyes flew wide open as though somebody told him it was the end of the world. "Even snacks?!"

"Even snacks." the Tortuga technician replied.

"Yeah. Come to think of it, I _am_ running low on a lot of important material for Creature Power suit programming."remarked Aviva thoughtfully.

Koki continued, "And if we don't resupply soon, we'll be grounded for good."

"Okay we get it, we get it!"said the Kratt in green in mock exasperation. By now the two creature adventurers knew the importance of being prepared and well supplied. "Me and Martin will stay behind to keep an eye on things until you guys get back."

"But first things first, we gotta return these lost dinosaur eggs back to their homes."the older Kratt interjected, gesturing to the bundle of eggs resting on the main platform.

"After a quick species identification of each one,"Sarah pointed out.

"Okay, but we better make it fast."said Koki hurriedly. Time was of the essence.

At this moment, Nick decided to acknowledge the elephant– or rather, T-rex in the room. "What about _him_?"

"Can't we just rush him to the nearest veterinary clinic?"asked the Tortuga pilot.

Martin disagreed. "Bad call, Jimmy. We can't take him off the island!"

"His parents will be worried sick, and bringing a baby T-rex is bound to draw a lot of unwanted attention."added Chris.

"But if we leave him here, he won't last the night,"said Aviva.

The younger Kratt heaved a sigh. "You're right, Aviva; we can't abandon him now. It goes against everything we stand for,"

The Wild Kratts team found themselves in the mires of a dilemma. For what seemed like an eternity, Martin and Chris circled around for a while as they pondered. Finally Sarah snapped her fingers as a thought occurred to her. "Hey Nick. You guys have a first aid kit in that trailer, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah. I think so."the photographer replied. "Gotta ask Eddie to make sure."

"Allow me," Koki obliged. With that, the communications specialist rushed to the Tortuga's main computer panel and quickly dialed the tech expert's contact. "Eddie, this is the Tortuga H.Q. Come in Eddie." After half a minute, the senior technician appeared on the screen in what looked to be a cage.

"Eddie here. How can I be of assistance?"came the answer.

"Just a quick question: did you guys happen to pack any medical equipment with you?"

 _ ****** Elsewhere...*******_

As the night dragged on, mountainous storm clouds began to gather over Isla Sorna, further blanketing the skies in darkness. The ominous rumbling of thunderclaps heralded the coming of the light rains that drummed on the jungle foliage. Before long, the small drops of rain became mighty torrents, and the strong winds howled through the night, causing the great trees to sway and dance to their movement. Few parts of the island in were untouched by the tropical storm, especially near the base camp where the camouflaged trailer sat. Inside, Dr. Malcolm was seated next to the radio, a logbook open as he ran a finger down a column of numbers. Nearby Kelly was leaning against the counter, watching her father's progress and having a drink of water.

"Ah. Here."said the mathematician, finding the frequency he was looking for. He reached out to the frequency modulator and turned the dial, whizzing through various noise and static on his way to the appropriate number. He was almost there when, without warning—

"Gangway!"

"Coming through!"

Martin and Chris barged into the trailer, followed by Sarah and Nick, all of them soaking wet. But that wasn't all; the latter pair were carrying a baby tyrannosaur.

"Hi, Ian."greeted Sarah innocently. "No lectures, please."

Malcolm's jaw dropped open, but no words come out as the pair brought the baby rex to the metal dining table and held it down.

"Wow."said Kelly in amazement.

The paleontologist's vest was streaked red with blood from the baby's injured leg, but that was the last thing on her mind as she fumbled through an open drawer full of medical equipment, finding a small syringe. Nick and Chris tightened their grip on the struggling animal while Martin calmed him as best he could, stroking him and speaking gently. Sarah took the opportunity to make an injection into his thigh. Finally, Malcolm found the voice to speak.

"I am aghast."

Taking a small ultrasound transducer, the paleontologist gently ran it over the animal's injured leg. A green and white skeletal image appeared on a monitor next to the table. "Okay, there's the metatarsals. Tibia, fibula... there it is! See it? That's a fracture, just above the epiphysis."

"Oh no," said the older Kratt.

"What do I have to do with you people, hit you with a stick?"

Intrigued, Kelly peered closely at the monitor. "You mean that little black line?"

"That little black line means death for this infant."said Sarah grimly. "The fibula won't heal straight, so the ankle joint can't pivot when he stands on his hind feet. The baby won't be able to run, and probably can't even walk. It'll be crippled, and a predator will pick it off before it gets more than a few weeks old. Guys, we need a little more space."

"Oh. Sorry, Sarah."the bros apologized simultaneously, giving the vet's daughter her much needed space.

"Alright. Fine. Just do whatever you have to do and get it out of here as quickly as possible."said Malcolm, wanting nothing to do with this foolhardy endeavor.

The Kratt in green made his way for the door, and gestured for his brother to follow. "C'mon, bro. We gotta return those dinosaur eggs anyway."

"Oh yeah. Let us know when he's back on his feet!"

"Hey, can I come too?"asked Kelly, wanting something better to do than hang around in the trailer turned hospital room.

The two creature adventurers exchanged glances before answering with wide smiles,"Why not?"

Malcolm, however, was not in favor of the idea. "Absolutely not!"

"Oh c'mon, Ian. You should come too."suggested Martin cheerfully. "It'll be fun!"

"And educational!"Chris tossed in.

At this point, the Kratt in blue draped his arm around the paranoid scientist's shoulder. "Just think of it like– an... an Easter egg hunt!"

"Besides, it's perfectly safe; we've already run a quick identification on the eggs. Most of them are herbivores,"

"And Koki's diagnostics are never wrong!"

"No, no, no, no, _no!"_ The mathematician replied, gesturing with his hands for emphasis. _"_ I will never go to these dangerous 'adventures' you call it? Where animals can kill me on a whim's notice freely? And for what? The experience of almost dying if you're luck gambling with your Russian roulette? No shark diving, lion safaris on foot, or camping in the Alaskan wilderness in a– in a tent made from jumpsuit materials that can easily be torn open by a twig, let alone an eight hundred pound grizzly bear. So yeah, anything life threatening and dangerous, especially involving dinosaurs, kindly count me out."

"Says the one who texts and drives,"Kelly snarked.

Almost instantaneously, the photographer and the paleontologist burst into laughter, as the two creature adventurers tried to withhold their own, albeit failing miserably. "Oooooh! Sick burn!" Nick remarked, laughing hysterically.

"Aww c'mon, Dad! Can I go, please? Please, please, please? I'll only keep asking."

The mathematician heaved a sigh; he could rarely ever say no to his eldest daughter, especially when she was making that face, those irresistible brown eyes that seemed to be looking into his soul. Finally, he answered, addressing the Kratt Brothers, "Fine. If she gets hurt, then I'm holding _you_ responsible,"

"'Responsible' is my middle name."Martin boasted.

However, Chris was quick to burst his brother's bubble. "I thought it was William." This left Martin with a shocked expression.

"I told you not to tell them!"the Kratt in blue complained, while the others laughed on.

"Don't worry, Ian."said the younger of the two sincerely. "We'll keep Kelly as safe as eggs in a nest."

"And we'll be back A.S.A.P,"added the older Kratt.

Permission granted, albeit reluctantly, the twelve-year old girl took off after the duo as they raced out the door.

"Field trip!"

 _ ****** Half An Hour Later ... ******_

"That's the last of them."said Martin, gently placing a pair of eggs inside a shallow crater in the ground covered by shrubs and ferns. Once that task was complete, the Kratt in blue turned his attention to the mother of the nest, a thirty-foot hadrosaur who lumbered to her brood with fresh leaves carried in her flat beak. For all her sheer bulk, the three-ton vegetarian was gentle as she turned the eggs with her snout before draping the gathered leaves over her brood, protecting them from the elements.

All around the clearing were dozens more of her kind, all tending to their individual nests, shielding the eggs from the tropical downpours, paying no mind to the gigantic turtle in their midst. "There you go, Mamma Maia." said Martin, patting the Maiasaura's snout. "Your eggs are all safe and sound." Mamma Maia honked in response before returning to her vigil, using her massive body to shield her brood from the pouring rain. "You're such a tender, gentle mom. I guess they don't call you Maiasaura 'good mother lizards' for nothing,"

"Creature Mission accomplished!" Chris announced, exchanging high fives with his brother as they made their way back to the Tortuga.

" _Last call for the mainland leaves in five minutes!"_ Jimmy Z's voice announced over the Tortuga intercom.

As he stood at the ramp leading up to the main entrance, Chris took a moment to take in the scenery reminiscent of the prehistoric world, when–

"Chris?"

Interrupted from his thoughts, the Kratt in green turned around to see none other than his girlfriend. Chris smiled. "Hey, Aviva. What's up?"

The inventor then spoke what was on her mind. "Earlier this morning, what was it you wanted to say to me?"

"Hmm?"hummed the Kratt in green cluelessly before realization hit him. "Oh! Right! About that..." here, he rubbed the back of his neck, "M-Maybe– maybe we can talk about that some other time."

"But Chris, you said it was really important,"

"I know what I said, but right now, protecting this island is our number one priority. It's Hammond's dying wish." The Wild Kratts team knew full well that the born again naturalist was now living on borrowed time. They were not about to deny Hammond this one final request, especially when the lives of countless creatures hung in the balance.

The inventor heaved a sigh, but smiled nonetheless. "Entiendo." Her curiosity would have to wait.

The young Kratt tenderly cupped the young woman's cheeks, staring deep in her intelligent gray eyes as he said, "I'll tell you soon. I promise." With that solid declaration, he closed the remaining distance, planting his lips with hers.

Aviva's arms wrapped around Chris' neck as his strong but gentle arms moved to constrict around her waist, deepening the kiss, which was slow and sweet, lasting until both had to part for air. Breathing heavily from the need for oxygen, both Chris and Aviva stayed close enough so that their foreheads touched as they gazed into each other's eyes, stormy gray meeting hazel brown, forgetting all else until–

"Aww, they are _so_ cute together!" The pair turned to see Martin and Kelly, the latter who looked at them in adoration.

"Could you guys take it somewhere else please? There's a kid present!" Martin cracked, a mischievous grin on his face as he used a free hand to shield the girl's eyes.

" _Martin!_ " exclaimed Aviva and Chris simultaneously, faces beet-red with embarrassment, earning laughs from the older Kratt and everyone else present. Once the laughter subsided, the inventor remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot, Koki and I decided that we're also going to Eddie's workshop after we're resupplied to add some final touches to his unfinished gear."

"Really?" Chris asked. Aviva nodded. "That's great!"

"We can also take Kelly back to her address on the way over there,"added Koki.

"Actually, I wanted to stay with you guys."the Wild Kratts kid confessed. "I mean, I really don't have anything better to do this Spring Break,"

"What about your gymnastics competition?"asked the Tortuga technician. "You've been practicing that for months."

The girl frowned. "I didn't make the cut. The only cut I got was out of the team."

"Oh no,"

"Ay pobrecita."

"It's okay, Kelly."said Laura, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "If at first you don't succeed, just try, try again."the ranger then quoted an African proverb: " _Success in life largely depends on how you handle your failures.'_ "

The two brothers exchanged knowing glances. "Don't worry, Kelly; you can hang around with us as long as you want."said the Kratt in blue with a warm smile.

"Besides, you're looking at a lean, green, acrobatic machine!" For emphasis, Chris performed a series of backflips across the clearing, ending his feat with a handstand. "Martin and I can teach you all we know."

"Just think of it as a camping trip in the woods. 65 million years ago."

"Thanks, guys!"exclaimed Kelly with much enthusiasm, embracing the surprised duo. "This is gonna be fantastic!" The brothers promptly returned the hug.

"Are you guys sure you'll be okay?"asked Jimmy Z in a shaky tone, eyes darting in different directions.

Chris was quick to reassure his skittish friend. "Relax, Jimmy. We'll be just fine."

"Yeah, I mean it's not really the first time we've been on an island with dinosaurs."said Martin confidently. "And besides, we're better prepared, and what's more, we have Laura." Here the Kratt in blue draped an arm over the ranger's shoulder.

"I promise that no harm will come to them, not while they have me to watch their backs."she reassured the team with a wink.

"Thanks Laura,"said the inventor, more than grateful that they were in good hands.

"Okay. Be careful."said Koki before she warned, "if any of y'all die out here, I'll dig you up and kill you myself." With that, she, Aviva, and Jimmy Z boarded the terrapin aircraft.

"Be back soon!"called the inventor.

The moment the door was sealed, the terrapin vessel took to the stormy sky before disappearing into the darkness.

 _ ****** At the High Hide... ******_

With the soft whir of the electric winch, the high hide rose up to its full height, now bearing the weight of Eddie and Malcolm.

"So... why are we up here again?"asked the technician.

"You're much happier not knowing." Malcolm replied, glancing down upon the forest canopy which stretched out for miles.

A moment of awkward silence.

"What's the.. what's the frequency of the boat by the way?"

"It's 15 trip eights. It's the third from the top!"

Suddenly, a gigantic silhouette ascended from the sea of trees, hovering with surprising silence for all its sheer size. As the unidentified flying object began to soar for the clouds, the spectating pair could make out an unusual terrapin shape and four massive flippers that seemed stationary. Then, as mysteriously as it appeared, the giant turtle vanished.

A moment of silence.

"That turtle ship can fly?"asked the mathematician blankly. Without warning he grabbed at the technician's shoulders. "Why didn't anyone tell me that that thing could fly?!"

Eddie shrugged. "I dunno. Why didn't you ask?"

Malcolm heaved a frustrated sigh as he slapped his forehead. "Fruitcakes." _Just when we could've booked a flight outta this forsaken island.._

Suddenly the silence of the forest was broken by an ear splitting roar as loud and as terrifying as the thunder.

The tech expert visibly flinched. "What the hell was that?" Malcolm didn't say a word as he was frozen to the spot; he was all too familiar with that sound, that accompanied him in his deepest nightmares. The pair stared down into the jungle's darkness, expecting something monstrous to emerge from the canopy. But only an ominous silence reigned.

"Is there any way we can communicate with the trailers?" The technician didn't say a word as he handed the mathematician a wired in radio intercom.

Malcolm grabbed the phone from Eddie. "Sarah! Nick! Get that baby as far away from the trailer as you can, _RIGHT NOW!_ Do you hear me?!"

No answer. "No answer. What a surprise." Annoyed, the mathematician hurled the phone back to Eddie all the while muttering curses. "I gotta get down there. How do I get down?"

To answer the scientist's question, the tech expert handed him a special utility belt. "Tie this belt around your waist. Squeeze the rope here, the harder you squeeze, the slower

you go. You don't squeeze at all–"

Ian cut him off. "I get the idea!"

There were ropes tied to the four corners of the high hide, for quick descents such as this. Throwing caution to the wind, Malcolm hurled one of the ropes over the edge and without a moment's hesitation, jumped out of the viewing platform, falling like a black streak until he landed on the forest floor unceremoniously with a _THUD!_

Eddie watched Ian's crash landing from the edge of the railing. "Personally I woulda squeezed just a little bit harder."

 _ ******* Somewhere over the Pacific...******_

"D'oh! I hate those annoying Wild Rats! They must be destroyed! Meddlers, meddlers, meddlers!" Zach complained as his gray cargo plane cruised over the raging Pacific Ocean, blending almost perfectly with the dark storm clouds. He and the other villains were assured that the Wild Kratts would not show up. How utterly wrong they had been.

On a computer panel in his private quarters, a certain fashionista appeared on screen. "Ugh, the aggravation!" lamented Donita Donata as she piloted her pink jet since Dabio was still recovering from that poisonous chicken's bite. Fortunately, the effects of the venom were starting to wear off as Aviva had promised. "If they hadn't showed up, my dinosaur feathered gowns would have been the talk of the town!"

"We've underestimated them. They always show up wherever we are!"

"So let's use that to our advantage–" but the evil inventor quickly cut her off. "Zip it! I'm trying to think! So maybe we can use that to our advantage," Suddenly the robotics inventor's diabolical brain hatched an idea. "We'll set a trap!"

Donita rolled her eyes. "Duh."

"We won't simply destroy them. We will erase them, once and for all! But first, let's see how well they survive without their precious turtle ship."

Zach Varmitech laughed evilly, sudden cracks of lightning flashing from outside. Donita joined him, until the inventor's. laughter ended in a coughing fit. A Zachbot suddenly appeared with a glass of water for its master.

Just then, the fashionista remembered something. "Wait, what about Gourmand and those gentlemen?"

"Ehh. They'll be fine."

 _ ****** Back in the Trailer...******_

"Get the bottle of amoxicillin and fill a syringe!"shouted Sarah over the din of the phone ringing. "Quick injection of antibiotics and I can get him out of here!" On the lab table, her young patient was still lying motionless, now with a white cast wrapped around his damaged leg. The baby Tyrannosaurus was on the road to recovery.

Suddenly the door to the trailer flew wide open, revealing a drenched Dr. Malcolm who raced over to the table. "For once in your life, would it kill you to pick it up?" he said angrily, slamming the door shut. "Help me get him out of here."

"No, wait!"exclaimed Sarah, stopping his advances. "We just set Little Chomper's leg!"

"Little Chomper?"

"That's what Martin decided to call the little guy. Is that a problem?"

Malcolm pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're not supposed to name it. Once you _name_ it, you start getting _attached_ to _it! Now put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"_

Just then, a loud metallic crash was heard just outside the trailer, causing everyone to be absolutely silent. The trio whirled around to look outside the window, just in time to see one of the Jeeps tumbling by, rolling on its side over the cliff, ultimately landing with a _THUD!_

"Mommy's very angry."

Ian looked out the window, peering through the darkness, Sarah and Nick also doing likewise. Except for the constant drumming of the rain, all was quiet... until a deep growl rumbled from behind the trio. Turning around, the sight that greeted their eyes was a massive square head peering inside the trailer with a glassy yellow eye as big as a grapefruit. The beast let out a soft but stern call, jaws opened, revealing impressive rows of razor sharp teeth the size of bananas. There was no mistaking a fully grown Tyrannosaurus rex, the fabled King of Dinosaurs.

Malcolm, Sarah, and Nick all froze in absolute terror.

In answer to the T-rex's call came an equally terrifying rumble from across the trailer. Looking in the opposite window, they spied another one of the enormous predators also peering inside. The second tyrannosaur bellowed deeply, a sound so low and loud it rattled anything in the trailer that wasn't tied down.

The humans backed into the tightest corner of the trailer, trying to avoid being caught in the rexes' line of sight. But the tyrannosaurs paid the minuscule creatures little attention; they were solely focused on their offspring imprisoned within this strange metal creature. Hearing the familiar calls of his gargantuan parents, Little Chomper raised his head from the cold table, squeaking in reply. The T-Rex closest to Sarah, a large male, bellowed a loud, unearthly roar, a cry from some other world, causing Sarah to scream out of fright; for years, the paleontologist had only known of these creatures from fossilized bones and teeth. To be in their presence, now in the flesh, was a truly terrifying experience.

The father rex then lightly bumped the trailer with his snout, causing it to shake a little, nearly knocking everyone inside off their feet. On the other side, the female Tyrannosaurus lowered her head to be in eye level with the window, gurgling rather softly as she called her baby. She was rewarded by Little Chomper's chirps, reassuring her that he was safe and sound.

Despite her fear, Sarah was also trembling with excitement as she watched the animals move and communicate outside the windows."This isn't hunting behavior, Ian,"she whispered. "Not hunting, they're searching. They came for Little Chomper."

"Well, let's not disappoint them,"the mathematician replied.

The trio wasted no time in lifting the baby tyrannosaur off the table. "Let me get his head,"said Sarah, "careful! I got him." They began to slowly walk towards the door, under the scrutinizing eyes of the T-rexes watching from the windows, with Sarah holding their precious cargo.

"Ready?"

After a moment's pause, Malcolm reached for the door handle. Directly outside the portal, the mother T-rex's gigantic head paused for a moment, as though waiting expectantly. The massive carnivore made a series of soft grunts, followed by a long, menacing growl.

Although terrified, Sarah banished her fear and began to sing, her voice soft, soothing. " _Imba wimbo_

 _Wa upepo_

 _Wakati unajiwa na..._

 _Imba wimbo wa upepo_

 _Wakati ndoto tamu._.."

"Are you insane?!" Ian hissed.

She did not change her soft, soothing tone. "I know it sounds crazy... but it works with lions... sometimes... Laura taught me this song."

"Windsong." Nick recalled, having heard it before on his travels.

The redhead nodded before continuing, " _Lala mpaka usiku uisheni_

 _Upepo wa usiku_

 _Wimbo wanko na..._

 _Wimbo wangu inaendelea milele.._

There we are... your baby is free..."

Squeaking excitedly, Little Chomper wriggled free of his helpers to rejoin his parents, forgetting his crippled leg as he hobbled towards them.

Without wasting a second, Ian slammed the door shut as the reunited family returned to the cover of the forest. The three of them froze, releasing breaths they didn't realize they were holding. Outside, they could hear the snuffling and cooing of the tyrannosaurs as they inspected and nuzzled their young. And then, to everyone's relief, came the soft thudding of their footsteps growing fainter as they moved deeper into the dense jungle.

With the exception of the constant drumming of the rain and the rolling thunder, all was silent. But the silent spell didn't last long as the ringing of a telephone was heard within the trailer walls.

Malcolm answered without hesitation. "Yes Eddie?"

From the wall, Eddie's voice came over the other line, obviously relieved. _"They're going back into the jungle."_

"How's Kelly?"

" _I can get her on the line, just give me a second."_ After a minute or two, the twelve-year old's voice was heard on the opposite sign. _"Hello?"_

"Kelly, how are you? Are you okay?"

" _Yeah. I'm good. I'm right here with Martin, Chris, and Laura."_

 _"_ Okay, listen, stay right where you are, don't move. I'm gonna be right back up, understand? Don't move!"

 _"I understand."_

After hanging up the phone, Malcolm slumped against the wall of the trailer. Sarah and Nick sat on the floor leaning against the opposite wall, completely drained. The paleontologist pulled out her pocket recorder and spoke shakily into it. "Note to Dr. Burke—Tyrannosaurus rex does nurture its young.

"Y'know, I beg people to listen to me."Ian ranted, "I use plain, simple English. I have no accent that I'm aware of–"

"Aww, shut up."murmured Sarah playfully.

"That should be an interesting chapter in your book."

"Forget the chapter, it's a whole new book. The debate over the parental instincts of Tyrannosaurus rex is now... academic."

"Y'know, there's an unwritten rule when a news crew is in a war zone."said Nick. "You stop the van every two miles and decide whether or not you feel lucky. One "no" from anybody in the group and you turn around right there, no questions asked, nobody embarrassed. So. Do we go on?"

" _No!_ "came the simultaneous response from all present, earning much needed laughter after the potential dangers faced not a moment ago.

"I'm _really_ gonna hate breaking this to the Kratt Brothers." Sarah remarked lightheartedly.

Ian smiled for the first time in a while, but that smile soon turned into a look of

concern as he looked out the window.

"Hang on. This is gonna be bad."

All of a sudden, the trailer was hit with the force of a runaway freight train, throwing the trio against the far wall as a shower of glass and field equipment rained down upon them. There was an earsplitting crack of electricity as the entire trailer rocked and sparked a brilliant blue before everything went black, submerging the room in darkness. The tables, chairs, lab equipment, everything that was bolted down clung to the floor above them. Everything else landed on the ceiling as the trailer was overturned.

Somewhere outside came the thundering roar of an enraged Tyrannosaurus rex, a earthshaking cry recognizable in any language: _mess with my baby, you're messing with Hell._

Malcolm crawled over to look out the nearest window, then wished he hadn't. "They're pushing us over the cliff!"

Sarah paled. "Oh my God."

Malcolm, Sarah, and Nick all exchanged glances before crawling like hell toward the other end of the trailer. The opposite end reached the edge of the cliff and started to tip ever-so-slightly downward. They reached the accordion-like connector and crawled into it. But in that moment, two gigantic heads smashed through the windshield of the front trailer, completely cutting off any escape with their snapping jaws. The mathematician could see the two tyrannosaurs hard at work pushing the front end with a combined mass of fourteen tons. From the corner of his eye, Ian saw Sarah's torn and muddy backpack. His eyes lit with an idea as he quickly scrambled over to it.

Options now dangerously limited, the trio hurled themselves at the nearest solid object, hanging on for dear life.

"Hang on to something!"cried Nick.

In the chaos, Malcolm managed to get hold of his girlfriend's pack and tore it open, finding her satellite phone, still attached to its heavy base. "Gotcha!" He immediately hit a button and the green number pad lights up promisingly. Without a moment to waste, the mathematician dialed one of the top contacts. "Eddie, if you can hear me, _get help now!"_

Outside, the tyrannosaurs roared into the night.

" _I hate cliffhangers!"_

 _ ********_ _**Ahhh... don't you just love cliffhangers? Adds to the suspense. Kidding! XD**_

 _ **Sorry about the long wait, but rushing me doesn't help. At all. Drives me nuts. I'm not dead, I want to continue this story as much as you do, but these things take time... *clears throat* will Malcolm, Sarah, and Nick survive the T-rex attack? Stay tuned..**_


	10. Cliffhangers

Ian, Sarah, and Nick found themselves dangling precariously on anything solid within their reach, the second half of their trailer hanging vertically over five hundred feet over the edge of the cliff after a devastating attack by a pair of Tyrannosaurus. Just as suddenly as they began, the attacks had ceased. No longer was the night sky filled with the dinosaurs' thundering roars. But that was of little comfort for the trio; down below was the crashing surf pounding against the treacherous rocks. A fall from that height would surely prove fatal.

Suddenly, in a cruel twist of fate, the refrigerator door Sarah was holding onto flew wide open, throwing her towards the rear window. The paleontologist screamed as she went free falling inside of the trailer before colliding with the rear window with a loud _THUNK!_

" _Sarah!"_ cried Malcolm and Nick, watching from above. The glass spider webbed, but fortunately it did not break. Regaining her senses from the collision, Sarah looked down, then immediately regretted it. As she stared down below, the rocks seemed to move even farther away from her. She blanched; the world seemed to spin around her, her heart racing as a cold wave of fear washed over he. For a person with a great fear of heights, this was a real drag.

"Oh...please ... no... Oh, God please..."

Her breath fogged the cracked glass. Slowly, she tried to get up, carefully pulling herself up to her hands and knees. But as she puts pressure on her hands, the glass cracked even more, tiny spider webs shooting out around her fingers. The whole glass panel sagged, bowing out around the bottom of the trailer.

"Don't move!"the cameraman called down to the terrified redhead.

"I'm coming down for you," Ian told her, climbing down slowly to reach her. "Here I come, stay still. Here I come, Sarah." He looked from her over to the satellite phone, which is precariously balancing on the leg of the kitchen table, its number pad still glowing green. "Nick!"

"Yeah?"

"The satellite phone! Get it!"

Nick crawled down and reached for the satellite phone, its antenna just six inches from his outstretched fingers. But every time he got closer, the phone slipped farther out of his reach.

The acrophobic paleontologist glanced to her right, at a metal grating that ran along the wall of the trailer. Shifting her weight, she leaned on one hand in an attempt to reach for the grating with the other.

"Just give me your hand,"coaxed Malcolm once he reached the bottom where Sarah was, extending his hand, "give me your hand, honey." No response from the petrified redhead. Running out of options, Ian looked over to his right to see the lucky backpack. In an instant, an idea came to mind.

Meanwhile, Nick had two fingers on the satellite phone, but suddenly the whole trailer shuddered, throwing the phone from the photographer's grasp. Time seemed to slow down as the strap slipped off the edge of the lamp, falling towards the window...

" _Heads up!"_

Blinded by fear, it was instinct that told Sarah to grab for the nearest object which happened to be the old backpack in Ian's hands. In a split second, the heavy phone whizzed past her head and smashed into the window in a shower of glass, food, and lab equipment that descended down to the rocks below. Sarah hung for dear life by her lucky backpack, swinging back and forth over the cliff screaming. The mathematician grunted as he tried to hold the extra weight while pulling her to safety.

"Your lucky pack!"

 _ ****** Topside...******_

Alerted by Malcolm's distress call, Eddie, Martin, and Chris arrived on the scene as quickly as possible, the latter pair donned in their CPS. As they finally arrived at their destination, the technician's Jeep skidded to a stop and the three passengers disembarked to survey the area.

"Oh no,"

Glancing around at the devastation, the three men could see the campsite had become a rutted, muddy mess, their various belongings scattered and reduced to rubbish, and the second vehicle was nowhere to be found. But worst of all, to their horror, the camouflaged trailers were split like an _**L**_ , the rear trailer hanging straight down in space, still connected by the accordion connector to the forward one that now rested precariously on the edge of the cliff.

"Oh my God."said the paling technician. "What did this?"

Chris crouched down to analyze a series of massive three-toed footprints imbedded in the mud. Only one animal could leave tracks like these. "T-rex. Two of them"

Eddie was confused. "I don't get it; they were just trying to save their baby. Why would they try to kill them?"

The bros gasped as dreadful realization hit

them. "What have we done?"squeaked Martin, eyes widened, his voice at the edge of panic.

"How could we have been so foolish?"said the Kratt in green, both hands at his scalp.

"What?"

"We've changed the T-rexes' perceived territory!"answered the Kratt Brothers simultaneously.

The tech expert was still left in the dark. "Say what?"

"We should've remembered what we were dealing with,"the older Kratt began, still berating himself. "Tyrannosaurus may show complex behavior among carnivorous dinosaurs, but most of it is probably instinctual, unthinking behavior wired in. They don't think it; they just do it. And territoriality is part of that Nature's know-how."

Chris continued for his brother. "They mark their territory, and defend that territory from competition. All instinctive behavior has triggers, releasers for that behavior."

"And by moving Little Chomper here, we _may_ have redefined their turf to include this place. So now they're going to defend their territory," here Martin gulped, "by destroying the trailers."

As the storm raged on, a crack of lightning flashed over the trees, bringing them back to their current situation.

"That connector isn't gonna hold much longer!"warned Eddie. "Let's go!"

Without wasting another moment, the trio raced for the front trailer. Eddie shouted through the broken windshield. "Ian! Sarah! Nick!"

"Hello?"called the brothers Kratt next to him.

" _We're in here!"_ came Nick's voice from all the way in the back trailer.

Relieved that their teammates were alive, the three quickly climbed through the window.

"Hold on! We're coming!"called Chris as he, Martin and Eddie rushed to the other end of the trailer, making their way over the scattered equipment littered throughout the wreckage. They promptly found the trapped trio at the very bottom, keeping well away from the opening that would surely lead to certain death.

"Whoah! You guys okay down there?"asked the Kratt in blue.

"Martin! Chris! Eddie! Thank God you're all here!"cried Sarah, looking up to see that salvation was nigh.

"Kelly! What did you guys do with Kelly? _"_ asked a concerned Malcolm.

 _"_ She's okay. She's with Laura."said Martin in reassurance. The scientist breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.

"Who's hurt? What do you need?"inquired the technician.

"We need rope!" Nick answered.

"Rope. Anything else?"

"Yeah. Three double cheeseburgers with everything!"replied the mathematician sardonically.

"No onions on mine!"added the photographer.

"And an apple turnover!"chimed the bone-digger.

Above them, the rescue trio exchanged incredulous glances. "Coming right up!"said Chris as he pulled out a bundle of rope from his backpack.

"That was quick." Eddie remarked.

"What can I say? It pays to be well organized." To his older brother, he handed one end of the rope, saying, "Hold this." With the other end, the Kratt in green raced back out into the rain to secure the cord around a nearby tree. Once that task was done, he shouted back to the trailer, "Okay, Martin! Let 'er rip!"

"You got it, dude. Catch!" Martin obliged, tossing the other end of the lifesaving cord into the trio's waiting hands.

"Good throw."said Ian once the rope was caught. "Did you tie this to anything?"

Before the Kratt in blue could reply, the trailer began to shudder and move slowly.

" _We're sliding!"_

"Climb up if you can!"called Eddie before he and Martin ran out just in time to see the wheels dragging backwards through the mud as the weight of the dangling trailer pulled the whole thing toward the edge of the abyss. Chris was already there.

"We gotta stop those trailers from sliding any further!"said the Kratt in green urgently.

"I'll hook her to the Jeep!"cried Eddie who ran back to the vehicle, grabbing hold of the power winch on the front grill. The tech expert promptly raced back to the trailer, pulling out a length of cable behind him. He ran up to the still-moving trailer, but just as he dove for its towing hook, the cable goes taut– and he fell short. Just by six inches, but he was out of cable.

"Damn it!"

"C'mon, Martin! We gotta help!"said the Kratt in green. In response, Martin pulled out a pair of Creature Power disks, holding both in his hand; Chris may have been the more organized of the two, but Martin prided himself for being the most prepared.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"he asked, beaming a smug grin.

"Oh I'm definitely thinking what you're thinking!" Chris answered, taking one of the disks and inserting it into his vest. After digging through his pack, the younger Kratt found what he was looking for; a glass vial holding an inch long ivory milk tusk.

Then came the moment of truth.

"Activate Elephant Power!" At the touch of a button, two flashes of brilliant blue and green light enveloped the two creature adventurers. Once it faded, where they once stood, were two humanoid elephants, trumpeting into the night. "To the Trailer Rescue!"

The two pachyderms wasted no time in grabbing the grill of the trailer with their artificial trunks, pulling the twelve-ton vehicle close enough for Eddie to come in with the wires. This time around, the technician was able to secure the cable into the trailer's towing hook. The Jeep jerked forward with the added weight of the larger vehicle before it stopped, holding it in place. "Thanks, guys." panted the technician.

But securing the damaged trailers was only part of the battle. "Whoah!" A sudden jerk of the trailer caused the two elephant bros to lose their footing, falling face first into the mud. The forces of gravity also pulled on the Jeep, causing it to slowly slide with the trailer.

"Eddie! Get to the Jeep!"said Chris as he and Martin planted their feet firmly into the ground. The tech expert obliged without a word, climbing into the sliding car.

"When we say pull..."grunted Martin as everyone got to their places; his younger brother getting a secure hold on the grill while Eddie fiddled with the stick, putting the car in reverse. At the right moment, the blue pachyderm stomped his feet.

" _Pull!"_

Inside the Jeep, Eddie began to floor it in reverse, fishtailing as the tires screeched. All the while, Martin and Chris hauled the massive trailer with all their might, straining and grunting at the load.

"Pull, Martin! Pull!"urged the green elephant. Back in the Jeep, the tech expert turned on the overdrive and gunned the engine. Mud flew everywhere as the tires sloshed, trying to get a grip. To everyone's delight, the trailer was slowly being pulled back up the cliff, thanks to their combined efforts.

"We're moving her!"cried the blue pachyderm optimistically as they continued to pull.

"Yes! I knew we could do it!"cheered Chris, more and more of the trailer being pulled back on solid ground.

"It's working!"said Eddie.

But the trio's optimism was short lived as the ground began to shake.

 _Boom. Boom. Boom._

Martin, Chris, and Eddie halted their work, bewildered by the sudden vibrations that seemed to be coming from all directions.

 _BOOM BOOM BOOM_

The rumblings grew louder. Soon enough great crashing and the tearing of foliage could be heard, as the tremors tore through the undergrowth, thundering towards them!

Eddie darted a look at his side view mirror, then wished he hadn't. His eyes widened in dread. "Umm guys? We've got company."warned the tech expert.

Just as the elephant bros looked over their shoulders, several thundering roars were heard from the edge of the forest as the two T-rexes emerged from the trees, lumbering slowly in their direction!

 _ ****** Meanwhile...******_

Deep in the forest, Kelly and Laura weathered out the storm under the shelter of a fallen redwood tree at the edge of a forest clearing. The blonde ranger had been entrusted to watch over the mathematician's daughter after Martin and Chris had rushed to the rescue of Malcolm, Sarah, and Nick from whatever perils they were facing. To her, it was not a task that she was unfamiliar with; she and others in her line of work had protected various animals from poachers, oftentimes at the risk of their own lives. As the rain continued to drum upon the trees, Laura sat cross legged at the threshold, holding a wooden staff as she kept a constant lookout for danger.

"What on earth is taking them so long?"whispered Kelly, her voice betraying her concern. It had been a long time since the Kratt Brothers had left. Too long for her liking.

The woman's voice was gentle as she placed a comforting hand on the twelve-year old's shoulder. "I understand that you're worried. I am too, but you must be patient and have faith that–"

In that moment, Laura caught a sudden disturbance over the constant drumming of the rain, her senses finely tuned from years in the African bush. Her blue eyes narrowed in suspicion as she peered through the darkness.

"What is it?"asked Kelly.

"Shh. Nyamaza!"the ranger whispered, gesturing with a finger to her lips. _Be quiet._

The girl nodded, looking outside fearfully as her guardian slowly crept out of the wooded shelter into the pouring rain. Staff held in readiness, Laura stood in the enter of the clearing, oblivious to the cold rain, ready for friend or foe.

She wouldn't have long to wait.

The snapping of a twig was heard, bringing her focus towards the grove of bushes straight ahead as they rustled and shook, giving up their occupant. The African ranger scowled upon seeing what, or rather _who_ emerged from the forest undergrowth.

 _"_ Heh heh. Why hello, Girl Scout."greeted a familiar voice with a southern accent.

"Gourmand." Laura spat, glaring daggers at the illegal chef.

"Hold your horseradishes, I ain't looking for no trouble. Yet. Now we could do this the easy way, or we could do this the hard way. Either way you choose, you _will_ tell me where those Wild Kratt Croutons are."

"Your choices have clearly led you here, as have mine."she replied cooly. "I will give you a new choice: leave now unscathed, or stay and suffer the consequences."

"That 'sposed to scare me?"

"I _never_ make idle threats."

"That's too bad, 'cause I was looking forward to– _OOF!_ " but before the illegal chef could finish, his stomach found itself at the receiving end of Laura's staff as she struck with full force before swinging at his head. As the intruder groaned in pain, the ranger glowered down upon him, her icy blue eyes saying, _Less talk, more action._

Gourmand was quick to recover from the stinging blow, rubbing his head. "That does it!"he bellowed, his temper all but gone. In that instant, the illegal chef pulled out his dough blaster and opened fire at his enemy. But Laura anticipated his move, and wasted no time in expertly evading the projectiles, thanks to years of experience with dodging bullets and poisoned arrows. " _Hold still, blondie!_ "

Before Gourmand could get a clean shot, Laura's staff twirled as she used it to disarm her opponent, swatting it out of his grasp. The chef's weapon laid on the muddy ground, shattered and damaged beyond repair.

"That was my favorite dough blaster!"the illegal cook lamented before glaring daggers at his enemy. "You've done ticked off the wrong chef on the wrong day!" Adjusting his hat, Gourmand discarded his broken blaster in favor of an iron meat mallet from his pack. Once again armed, he charged head-on like a maddened bull, yelling at the top of his lungs. Without hesitation, the blonde ranger rushed in to meet her foe with equal fearlessness.

Meat mallet met wooden staff as the two clashed, neither side showing any signs of backing down. "Is that all you got, _mafuta?!_ " Laura taunted before resuming the fight.

During the struggle, Gourmand laughed as he managed to bash Laura's staff out of her hands. "What's the matter, Girl Scout? Lost yer stick, have ya?"

But his victory was only brief as the ranger suddenly pulled out a wickedly antlered axe, catching the chef by surprise. With one strike, she was able to use the hooks of her right Hunga Munga to wrench the mallet from Gourmand's grasp. The endangered species chef's surprise quickly turned to anger as he tried to cuff his enemy with a swing of his massive fist. Laura ducked, successfully avoiding Gourmand's attack before delivering one of her own. The African ranger's left fist shot out with the speed of a striking cobra, punching her opponent in the nose, causing him to reel back as he muttered curses, holding his swelling schnoz.

"Y'oww! Right in the sneezer!" Hardly had those words left his mouth when Laura seized his hand in a crushing grip before throwing the burly chef over her shoulder with surprising strength, sending him crashing on his back against a nearby forest giant.

"Buttermilk... biscuits.." Chef Gourmand was knocked out on impact.

Alerted by the sounds of the struggle, several InGen mercenaries had arrived on the scene, armed with guns and cattle prods. But hardly had one hunter emerged from out of the tree line when he was pinned to a nearby redwood by two wicked branching axes to his shoulders. The blades had missed his flesh by mere inches, but instead buried themselves into the cloth of his shirt, still enough to render him immobilized. Another reckless wrangler charged Laura head-on, trying to knock her out with the butt of his rifle. The ranger limboed underneath the strike and delivered one of her own with a fist to his unguarded stomach, bringing him to his knees.

She heard wild scream from behind, and without so much as a backwards glance, raised her left fist which made contact with the face of a hunter armed with an electric prod. Knocked out cold, the noisy attacker fell like a ton of bricks.

Seeing the level of fight in their feminine foe and how effortlessly the first several men were taken down, the rest of the mercenaries rushed in as one, albeit cautiously.

In the melee that followed, the ranger felt a pair of hands grabbing her shoulders before she gave an angry yell, flipping one hunter over her shoulder, sending him flying into an oncoming pair. Whirling around, she punched the other square in the nose. The afflicted man didn't hold his injured nose long as he was quickly felled by a roundhouse kick.

Another pointed a gun barrel at their adversary only to have his weapon sliced in half by a clean slash of a curved sword. Almost before he had any chance to recover from his initial shock, the gunman was felled by the sword hilt to his head. The others quickly backed out of range of the swinging cold steel.

" _She's got a sword!_ "

Wielding her shotel blade, Laura readied herself for the next wave of hunters as they quickly surrounded her. Outnumbered though she was, the woman would rather fall fighting than admit defeat at the hands of her enemies.

"Alright, who's next?!"

"Hey! Drop your weapons now or the girl gets it!" As Laura turned her attention to the speaker, her eyes widened in dread as one of the hunters had Kelly in his grasp, holding a cattle prod to the terrified girl's head. Suddenly, a strong hand shot out, lowering the man's taser.

"Dieter! Enough."commanded a voice the blonde ranger knew all too well. Dieter obeyed. "Good evening, Ms. Wilkinson."

"Roland."she hissed, recognizing the trophy hunter in a heartbeat.

"I would advise you to lower your sword." The outdoorsman's words were not a suggestion, but a demand as neither side truly wanted any more conflict.

With Kelly's safety in jeopardy, the young warrior breathed a sigh as she reluctantly released the shotel sword from her grasp, causing it to clatter in the mud at her feet. Now unarmed, she slowly raised her hands in submission. For the first time in her life, Laura Wilkinson had surrendered.

The Great White hunter boldly made his way before the downed ranger, until he was close enough to make eye contact. "Now tell us where your friends are."

 _"My leg!"_

 _ ****** Back on the Cliffside...******_

Eddie, Martin and Chris were frozen with fear as the two tyrannosaurs lumbered towards them.

"Nobody move a muscle." Martin whispered as the giant theropods thundered closer and closer. "Their vision is based on movement."

"I've got an idea."said the Kratt in green quietly. Slowly, as not to draw any unwanted attention, Chris reached for his Creaturepod attached to his wrist before pushing a few buttons.

Suddenly a flash of light appeared, and a large hazy image began to materialize until it took shape into the form of a fully grown bull Triceratops. Sporting an impressive set of horns, the holographic Trike bellowed a roar in challenge as it swung its massive frill, stomping its feet as it faced the two rexes head on. For a while, the predators halted their advances.

"Good thinking, dude."the blue elephant praised with a wink. "Even a T-rex would think twice before attacking a bull Triceratops."

Chris nodded. "Thanks, bro. Predators don't really like to take huge risks in tackling dangerous prey. Unless they're starving, there's no sense in risking serious injury or even death. They _should_ leave us alone now,"

But just as the trio were able to continue the arduous task of heaving the trailers, Eddie took another glance over the side view mirror. The tech expert did not like what he saw.

"Guys? I hate to break it to ya, but I don't think they're buying it! Look!"

Martin and Chris looked over their shoulders, their eyes widening in horror as in that moment, a crack of lightning flashed over the night sky, and the T-rex pair charged forward, piercing the darkness with their thundering roars. The very ground shook with their mighty footfalls as they completely ignored the holographic Triceratops, and instead came barreling straight towards the men!

"Uh-oh! Looks like the jig is up!"cried the green pachyderm as the holographic video projector failed.

"T-rex attack! Six o'clock!"warned Martin. The Kratt Bros had just enough time to jump out of the way, narrowly avoiding the rexes' snapping jaws. But the tyrannosaurs' failed attack caused them to crash right into the front of the trailer, causing it to rock back dangerously closer to the cliff's edge. Eddie yelped in panic as he felt the Jeep violently lurch forward with its burden. He immediately hit the brakes.

"Sorry, Eddie!"yelled Chris apologetically just as the male T-rex lunged for him again. The green elephant was quick to respond and threw out his hands, grabbing hold of both the beast's maxilla and mandible. Utilizing his enhanced strength, Chris was able to prevent the jaws of death from closing down upon him.

" _Get me off this crazy thing!_ " Meanwhile, Martin held on for dear life to the she-rex's tail, keeping well out of range of her formidable teeth and snapping jaws as she struggled in vain to catch her prey.

"Keep pulling the trailers, Eddie!"shouted the Kratt in green over the bellows of his antagonist, his pillar-like feet struggling for purchase on the muddy ground. "Martin and I will hold them off!" Summoning enough strength, Chris then gave the tyrannosaur a forceful shove, causing the mammoth reptile to stagger back.

"Try _hold_ them _on_!" the blue elephant retorted, still grabbing the tiger– or rather T-rex by the tail. This lasted until the seven-ton predator swung her tail with enough force to dislodge her unwanted burden against an old tree stump– the same stump where Chris' rope was tied. It snapped free upon impact, rapidly unraveling from its foothold, racing through the muddy quagmire. The older Kratt's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no!"

Martin had just a split second to grab the rope with his trunk. Luckily, he caught it in the nick of time before he retied it more securely. The Kratt in blue took the time to smile at his handiwork. But Martin's triumph was short lived as he felt a blast of hot air assaulting his face, and the wreaking odor of what could be described as decayed flesh. Turning his head to the source, he visibly paled as mammoth jaws lined with rows of razor sharp teeth greeted his vision as the female Tyrannosaurus rex towered over him, eyes glowing red as deep growls rumbled from her throat, pools of saliva dripping from her nightmarish mouth. She then unleashed an earth-shaking roar, as loud and as ominous as the thunder, that shook the older Kratt's bones.

Options limited, Martin shut his eyes, anticipating the killer blow. _SNAP!_

 _But the teeth never came_.

The Kratt in blue forced an eye open to see that the dinosaur's fangs missed by mere inches. His attacker roared in protest as she was slowly being pulled back away from her prey, clawed feet digging into the mud for grip. Behind her, dragging the gargantuan carnivore with all his might, was none other than– "Chris!"

The green elephant grunted and strained as he heaved the seven-ton rex away from his brother using his arms and trunk. Even with elephantine strength, it was an arduous task. "Martin! Go help Eddie! I got your back!" With a tremendous swing, Chris then threw the T-rex a good distance away from the trailer, crashing on her side. The pachyderm blared a victorious trumpet as the she-rex struggled to right herself.

"You got it, dude!" Deciding that he was much faster without the added bulk of his elephant form, Martin deactivated his CPS and made a mad dash back to the trailer. Upon reaching his destination, the older Kratt was just about to reactive his suit when a earthshaking bellow caught him off guard. He turned around and spied the male charging straight for him. In that moment, a smirk appeared on his face an idea occurred to him.

After inserting a particular creature power disk, Martin Kratt was ready.

He sped past under the oncoming tyrannosaur's legs, ducking just in time to avoid a jaw snap that would have bitten him in half. In a split second, the Kratt in blue seized his chance, touching the pebbly skin on the rex's thundering foot before quickly rolling out of the way, lest the dinosaur crush him.

" _Activate T-rex Power!_ "

In a vibrant flash of blue, the very earth shook as Martin transformed into the form of a gigantic Tyrannosaurus rex.

"Wow."remarked Eddie, totally amazed by Martin's transformation before he quickly resumed his previous task. The newly transformed T-rex soon followed, clamping his powerful jaws on the window frame, utilizing his enhanced strength to haul the twelve-ton trailer with little effort.

Meanwhile, Chris was struggling to hold his own against the two Tyrannosaurus. Even with his abilities, the green elephant was no match for the bigger, stronger, and more ferocious beasts. And that was not adding to account that he was badly outnumbered. The younger Kratt had succeeded in fending off the male only to find himself in a sticky situation as the female tyrannosaur suddenly attacked him from behind, seizing him in her jaws before shaking him like a rag doll.

"Thank– Aviva– for– upgrading– the Creature Power vests!"yelled Chris to no one in particular as he felt himself getting green– well, greener than usual as the gigantic predator continued to thrash and shake him violently. Thanks to his girlfriend's brilliant engineering, the CPS were now strong enough to withstand even the powerful jaws of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

Needless to say, the constant thrashing only caused the younger Kratt to become dizzy, and it took all of his willpower not to become sick.

" _Time for me to switch Creature_ _Powwweeeeeeers_!"the last part was screamed out as the she-rex launched the creature adventurer more than forty feet into the air. Suddenly there was a brilliant flash of green light that illuminated the entire cliffside.

 _"Activate Creature Power!"_

On the ground, the female tyrannosaur lifted her giant head skywards, waiting for the strange green interloper to descend right into her open jaws. But instead of the small, two-legged morsel, she was greeted by a massive, barrel-like shape with an impressive head sporting three horns that crashed landed on right on top of her before she could react.

"Sorry, Momma Rex."said Chris apologetically from his place sitting upon the downed rex, now donned in a Triceratops Power suit. With a howl of fury, the enraged she-rex suddenly reared back, throwing her eight-ton burden splashing in the mud. Almost before the three horned Kratt could recover, the predatory dinosaur's teeth grabbed hold of his left brow horn, shaking her head violently engaging her prey in a deadly tug of war.

With his mate preoccupied with the green Triceratops, the male tyrannosaur turned his attention to a different quarry.

Martin and Eddie had nearly succeeded in recovering the trailers when–

"Martin, watch out!" But Eddie's warning came too late as the male T-rex clamped his jaws on Martin's neck, earning a roar of pain from the blue rex.

"Not again!"

The blue tyrannosaur struggled with all his might, eventually breaking free of the male's grip. Recovering quickly, Martin Rex countered with a tail whip to the other theropod's face, followed by a body slam that pushed him several yards back. The two tyrannosaurs eyed each other, baby blue meeting piercing red, baring their teeth before they charged at one another with open jaws.

As the two giants clashed, the huge carnivorous dinosaur was on the offense, trying to reach his blue enemy's snout and throat. For the most part, Martin ducked and weaved, avoiding his opponent's snapping jaws.

"Listen, Strongfang."the blue rex reasoned as the two combatants circled one another. "Can I call you Strongfang? This is all just a _big_ misunderstanding. We don't wanna fight you. We were just trying to heal Little Chomper's broken leg. Now if you and Thundera over there can just go back to your nest, we'll just pick up our friends and be on our way–" but the older Kratt never had the chance to finish as the newly named Strongfang made his lightning lunge, head butting Martin square in the ribs with enough force to knock him over.

The instant Martin went down, Strongfang immediately seized his opportunity and attempted to grab his rival's throat. But he was met with resistance as the Kratt in rex form used his powerful hind legs to hold him back. Then like a cracking whip, his tail lashed out, striking the Tyrannosaurus directly in the face. Strongfang staggered back, shaking his head, giving Martin the chance to regain his footing, but the Kratt in blue was barely back on his feet when he noticed the T-rex spitting out several broken teeth.

Martin's eyes widened in dread. "I'm sorry."he squeaked apologetically.

With the force of a runaway freight train, Strongfang rammed the unprepared Kratt in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Before Martin could recover, the Tyrannosaurus seized him by the neck, pushing his enemy backwards. As he was forced back, the blue rex's eyes flew wide open in horror as he realized Strongfang's intended destination: a five hundred-foot drop to oblivion.

The blue tyrannosaur's clawed feet dug desperately into the muddy ground in resistance, but his rival proved to be too powerful, clamping his teeth even deeper into Martin's neck as he forced him closer and closer to the edge. Suddenly the very earth began to give way, and time seemed to slow down as Strongfang released his grip, letting gravity finish off his rival.

Meanwhile Chris had succeeded in neutralizing the female T-rex Thundera by knocking her out with a swing of his mammoth frill. But his triumph was short lived the moment he saw her mate's attack on his older brother.

" _Martin!"_ cried the younger Kratt in horror, seeing his brother fall off the edge of the cliff. " _No!"_

The instant he was free falling, Martin deactivated from his T-rex form, making a mental note to thank Aviva for upgrading the arms to be more functional for this purpose. Once again in human form, the older Kratt descended like a blue arrow, his determined eyes already locked in on his destination; the lifesaving rope placed between Ian, Sarah, and Nick and certain death. Once he got close enough, Martin grabbed hold of the end of the rope which swung on impact, earning screams of shock from the dangling trio above him. The three dared to looked down, their eyes greeted by the sight of the creature adventurer in blue, smiling casually in their direction.

"So, how's it hanging?"he asked.

"Oh, just another Wednesday evening,"replied Malcolm dryly up above, with Sarah clinging desperately into his chest. "Y'know, hanging from the edge of a cliff here." Nick simply chuckled; if he was going to die here, might as well go out laughing.

Without thought to the perils to his own life, Chris raced to the cliff, coming to a screeching halt at the edge. The younger Kratt looked down grimly, dreading what he would find. "Martin!"he bellowed.

"I'm okay, Chris!"came Martin's voice from the bottom of the cliff, echoing from within the dangling trailer to be exact.

"Oh, thank goodness." Hearing his brother's voice and knowing that he was unharmed, the green Trike breathed a sigh of relief before charging an oncoming Strongfang head-on. The T-rex moved in for the attack, only to be rammed in the abdomen by Chriceratops' frill and horns. The force was enough to send the seven-ton carnivore crashing to the ground.

"Sorry, big guy! Nothing personal, we're just trying to save our friends."

Meanwhile, Martin began to make the ascent, muttering quick apologies as he clambered over the dangling trio. "Sorry. Don't mind me. Just passing through," Unlike his peers, the seasoned creature adventure was able to climb the rope with relative ease, despite the cold rain slashing his face, and the fact that climbing wasn't really one of his strong suits, unlike his younger brother. Speaking of which, the older Kratt clambered on, determined to get to the top of this tin can, pull his friends out of harm's way as soon as possible in order to go back and help Chris and Eddie. Having made it to the top, Martin grabbed hold of the rope in order to haul Ian, Sarah, and Nick up to safety, but not before pulling out a certain power disk and fur sample from his shoe.

"Activate Black Bear Power!"

Back on the topside, Chriceratops found himself locked in mortal combat with Strongfang. The male Tyrannosaurus lunged and snapped while the green Trike swept his six-foot brow horns to keep those deadly jaws at bay. Eventually the giant theropod found an opening and seized his prey by the frill, thrashing vigorously in an attempt to grab the vulnerable neck. Chris lumbered backwards while shaking his mammoth head, but in doing so, he failed to see where he was going until his hindquarters consequently bumped into the trailer, causing it to rock.

"Hey! Watch it with the trailers!"shouted the technician.

"Sorry, Eddie!" the Kratt in green called out, before shaking off Strongfang's vice-like grip with a sideways swipe of his frill. "Get– _off!"_

Suddenly a thundering roar caught the green Triceratops off guard, and without further warning, he felt a horrible pain shoot through his left hind leg as Thundera, now fully conscious, sank her teeth into her target, and she didn't show any signs of letting go. Reacting instinctively, Chriceratops reared back on his hind legs, but that was when the male T-rex seized him in a throat hold before slamming the megaton herbivore to the ground. His mate was quick to prevent Chris from escaping by pinning him down under one of her three-toed feet, her teeth clenched on one of his horns.

With Chriceratops out of the picture, Strongfang lumbered slowly towards Eddie's Jeep, fangs bared. The moment he saw the male T-rex approaching, the technician flashed his brights and honked his horn in an attempt to scare off the seven-ton carnivore. This only served to annoy the rex who blared a rumbling roar before he charged with open jaws!

With a lightning lunge, the Tyrannosaurus' formidable head crashed through the roof of the car before tearing it away with a violent jerk. Inside the car, the horrified tech expert screamed, ducking under the steering wheel while maintaining a steady pressure on the gas pedal. But he didn't go far as one of Strongfang's three-toed feet crashed down upon the vehicle, preventing the metal creature's escape. Outside, the T-rex continued his onslaught, ripping off a door as though it were paper. Trapped inside his fortress that was rapidly being torn asunder, the technician reached out for his only line of defense, the Lindstradt air rifle. One shot, and the Tyrannosaurus would go down. But to his horror, it was stuck, the gun barrel tangled on some netting on the car. Eddie frantically tried to pull the rifle while his attacker tore out the front drivers seat, causing the airbag to pop open.

" _God help us!_ "he muttered as he tried in vain to release his weapon before– " _AGGHHHHH!"_

Eddie's agonized screams pierced the air as the male T-rex grabbed the man's leg with his powerful jaws, lifting him out of the car with no effort as though he were a rag doll.

Immobilized under the weight of the female, Chriceratops could only watch helplessly as her mate tossed the doomed technician into the air, opening his cavernous mouth in anticipation, lined with rows of razor sharp teeth ready to rend flesh and crush bones.

" _No!"_

But just as the T-rex's teeth were about to close down on Eddie Carr, a flash of orange grabbed him in mid flight at the last moment, literally snatching the man from the jaws of death. Eddie landed unceremoniously on the ground, hollering in pain as he held his bitten leg while his savior landed gracefully on her feet, standing between the human and seven-tons of prehistoric terror.

"Amber!"cried Chris joyfully, despite his current predicament.

Strongfang bellowed furiously at having his prize stolen by this tiny, orange-colored interloper. _**"Get away from my friends, beast!"**_ growled the young raptor, baring her teeth with an angry hiss.

The gigantic T-rex blared an earthshaking roar in an effort to drive away the minuscule pest, thundering a few paces forward. But Amber summoned the courage to stand her ground, her scaly hide flushing brilliant bright red as she narrowed her eyes in a glare. With a bloodcurdling screech of defiance, the young Velociraptor sprang into action!

Meanwhile, Martin emerged from the demolished trailer, followed by Ian, Nick, and Sarah, all shaken and bruised, but alive. The Kratt in blue had just escorted the trio out from the gaping hole of the windshield when he was interrupted by Sarah's scream and a heavy thud. He looked to see Chriceratops slumped to the ground on his backside, pinned by his opponent's sheer bulk. To his horror, Thundera had Chris' neck in her jaws, clamping more and more pressure on his throat in spite of her prey's resistance.

It was every big brother's worst nightmare.

"Chris!"cried Martin, before rushing desperately into the fray, thoughtless of his own safety. Meanwhile, Sarah, Malcolm and Nick regained their senses and scrambled over to help a severely injured Eddie. "Don't worry, I'm coming, bro!"

As the female Tyrannosaurus continued her chokehold, Chris' resistance became weaker and weaker, the life slowly being strangled out of him. Just then, he could hear thundering footfalls coming towards him, and–

" _Get away from my brother!_ "

Another Tyrannosaurus, this one blue in color, came charging in at full speed, ramming into Chris' attacker, forcing her to relinquish her deadly grip. As the green Triceratops slowly regained his breath and his footing, his hazy brown eyes gradually adjusted themselves where he saw the blue T-rex boldly standing between him and an angry Thundera who roared in defiance.

"Martin!"he cried cheerfully, more than thankful for his brother coming to his rescue. The older Kratt turned his focus on his recovering sibling, beaming a toothy tyrannosaur grin.

"Couldn't let you have all the action. Besides, somebody's gotta watch your back."

As the two radically different species stood shoulder to shoulder to face their attacker, a piercing shriek diverted their attention, and they had just enough time to see Amber being effortlessly thrown against the trailer.

"Amber!"cried the bros as they watched the young raptor slump to the ground, wasting no time in rushing to her side.

"Amber! Are you okay?" Martin asked. The orange theropod slowly picked herself off the ground, shaking her head to ease the throbbing within.

 _ **"I am undamaged."**_ she said. _**"Although I cannot say the same for that monster."**_ Amber's first attack left Strongfang torn and bloodied, most notably along the flanks and his face sustained several fresh gashes. Yet the gigantic T-rex was no more wounded than an elephant bitten by a determined fly.

"Guys, watch out!" Alerted by Sarah's warning, the trio had just enough time to sidestep, narrowly avoiding a jaw snap from Thundera that could have easily taken one of their heads.

"That was a close one!" Chris exclaimed.

"Amber! Get Eddie and the others out of here!" Martin ordered. "We'll keep them busy."

 _ **"Yes, Martin!"**_ said the Velociraptor who wasted no time in escorting the humans to the safety of the tree line, even helping the crippled technician hobble on his feet. The Tyrannosaurus pair took off in pursuit of the fleeing humans when two figures blocked their path. "Not so fast!"roared the blue rex, baring his teeth.

"You want our friends, you're gonna have to get through _us_."challenged the green Triceratops with a snort, steam billowing from his nostrils as he lowered his horns in anticipation.

Almost as if in acceptance of that challenge, the two megaton predators bellowed into the night, their terrifying roars mingling with the rolling thunder as they charged straight towards them, causing the very ground to shake with their footsteps. But against their better instincts which urged them to take flight, Martin and Chris stood their ground, awaiting the inevitable collision.

Then it came, a combined fourteen tons crashed head-on, straight into the two creature adventurers, the sheer force nearly knocking them off their feet. But the duo quickly recovered and had begun to fight back with fangs, horns and frills against the awesome might of their adversaries.

"Something's not right here."observed the Kratt in green who kept Strongfang at bay with his formidable spears.

"What do you mean?"asked Martin, dodging a bite from Thundera that would have taken his head.

"I get that tyrannosaurs are very devoted parents and fiercely territorial–" here Chriceratops rammed the male's unguarded underbelly, forcing him back, "but these two seem really bent on killing us. _Yikes!"_ The green Trike leapt back to avoid a sudden jaw snap from the fallen brute.

"I hear ya, bro!"replied Martin Rex who was lying flat on his back, using his powerful hind legs to keep the she-rex's snapping jaws away. "Predators tend to avoid confrontation whenever possible and–" the Kratt in blue summoned the strength needed to push Thundera off, "most of these fights usually end in a draw." The female tyrannosaur lunged, only to be felled by a sweeping tail to the face. "Sorry!"

"You would think that they've had enough by now."the younger Kratt remarked with a puzzled frown. The two creature adventurers exchanged glances. In that moment, Martin Rex bellowed a thundering roar. "Whoah there!" To the bros' relief, the T-rex pair froze, giving the humans almost quizzical looks. "Look, why don't we just call it a truce? We're all tired and we really don't want any more trouble."

"We'll just be on our way, and you guys can go about your evening, take care of Little Chomper and forget we were ever here. And everybody's happy!"the green ceratopsian reasoned, just as though the two theropods could understand what they were saying. A nervous smile formed on his beak as they continued to stand motionlessly.

"Soooo... no hard feelings?"asked the blue rex, beaming an innocent smile. For a brief moment, only the drumming of the rain and the roaring of the surf could be heard... before earthshaking bellows filled the night sky, and without further warning, the two T-rexes came barreling down upon the Kratt Brothers!

Screaming in unison, the two creature adventurers traded horrified glances. "Freeze frame?" Martin asked his brother.

"Freeze frame!" Chris replied with a squeak. Options limited, the pair quickly struck poses, as though they were suddenly turned to stone. _Don't move,_ the blue tyrannosaur told himself, recalling the advice told to them by their old friend Dr. Alan Grant. _They can't see you if you don't move._ At his side, the green Trike had a similar mindset, forcing himself to stand his ground, not even blinking.

But the Tyrannosaurus pair charged on, rapidly closing the distance. Thundera struck Martin Rex square on the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Strongfang seized Chriceratops by his right brow horn before spinning his rival around in a counter clockwise motion.

" _This seemed like a good idea at the time!_ " Chris screamed as he was being spun around, everything passing in a blur. After what felt like an eternity, the bull T-rex released his grip, sending the Triceratops flying straight into a recovering Martin. Unfortunately for the older Kratt, the oncoming dinosaur cannonball was hurtling too fast to him to avoid.

"Uh-oh. _Ahhh!_ " _**CRASH!**_

The two creature adventurers were knocked out cold, their Creature Power suits deactivated on impact.

With their prey now completely under their mercy, the two tyrannosaurs slowly lumbered towards the downed Kratts with murderous intent. But they never got a step closer when a flash of orange erupted out of the jungle undergrowth, standing between them and their intended targets.

Having escorted Malcolm, Sarah, Nick and Eddie out of harm's way, Amber dashed back into the fray to aid Martin and Chris any way she could, only to find them overpowered by their colossal foes. A robotic gasp sounded from her CTT as the smaller dinosaur shrieked in horror, rushing to the fallen creature adventurers, thoughtless of the perils to her own life. _**"Martin! Chris!"**_ she called out, reaching their side, frantically nudging their still forms with her snout. Growing more and more worried, Amber closed her eyes as she pressed an earhole against the older Kratt's chest. She remembered the times whenever Martin would allow her to sleep on his chest in the days when she was only a hatchling, became familiar with his slow breaths and the sound of his steady heartbeat. The theropod was rewarded by the sound of Martin's pulse. She did the same with Chris, and his steadily beating heart assured the raptor that the Kratt in green was also still alive and well. Inwardly relieved, Amber gently nuzzled their faces, rumbling a deep purr within her throat as she used her body to shield them from the pouring rain.

Sensing that the minuscule intruder posed little threat to themselves, Strongfang and Thundera continued their advance, only to be halted by a piercing hiss. Claws held in readiness, the young Velociraptor went into a pre attack crouch, golden eyes narrowed as her tail slowly swished from side to side in clear aggression, undaunted by the tyrannosaurs' tremendous size; it mattered not. Anyone or anything who dared to harm her caretakers would have to answer to her. They looked after her ever since she was a hatchling. Now it was her turn to protect them.

 _ **"I will not allow you to hurt my friends!"**_ she snarled, her skin flushing bright red in warning. _**"Now I suggest you go away!"**_

Unfazed by their new enemy's show of bravery or foolhardiness, the T-rexes thundered onwards to finish what they had started, flashing their many rows of teeth. The primeval protector lifted her head to the angry heavens, piercing the air with spine-chilling shrieks before rushing to meet them.

After narrowly dodging the tyrannosaurs' gnashing teeth and stomping feet, the Velociraptor leapt vertically, landing onto Thundera's left flank. The she-rex howled as she wheeled rapidly, trying her hardest to shake off her attacker as the smaller theropod latched on for dear life, slashing and biting into the thick hide and flesh. Amber halted her onslaught just in time to see the male T-rex charging towards her. Reacting on instinct, the young raptor jumped unto the female's neck as Strongfang slammed his massive head onto his mate's side, evading a bite that would have bitten her in half. Even as she used her retractable claws, Amber struggled to maintain a firm grip as Thundera shook her head wildly in an effort to dislodge her unwanted burden. After a half-minute's struggle, the female Tyrannosaurus gave a quick jerk, causing the raptor to lose her hold. In that split second, the orange theropod launched herself from this living platform and landed square on Strongfang's skull. Enraged, the male tyrannosaur snapped his salivating jaws furiously, thirsting to tear his adversary apart, his sensitive nostrils flaring as they took in the raptor's scent.

To his frustration and ire, Amber clung to his face like a barnacle to a rock, refusing to let go.

As she took a brief moment to consider her options, something caught her eye; some sort of domed cap that was dark gray. This was no natural growth as it was of mechanical origin, lined with crude wiring, clinging onto Strongfang's cranium like some metal parasite.

The young Velociraptor hissed; she knew what it was and who was responsible. _**"Zach Vermin-tech!"**_

These formidable beasts were merely only unwilling pawns of the evil inventor's mind control helmets.

As if sensing the Velociraptor's distracting thoughts, the mechanically possessed dinosaur gave a sudden sideways swing of his head, throwing Amber several yards away to the muddy ground. Fortunately the raptor had the reflexes to land on her feet. Once again, she stood before her caretakers who were still unconscious, but this time her fiery skin had reverted to its original orange, her anger gone.

 _ **"You poor, unfortunate creatures."**_ said the young raptor morosely, her sad golden orbs staring the two towers of terror straight in their red, unblinking eyes. _**"Had I known of Vermin-tech's doing, I would never have raised my teeth and claws against you."**_ No creature deserved to be forced against their will. _**"Allow me to be of help."**_

Driven by manipulation rather than instinct, the mammoth carnivores helplessly charged on. But the freethinking Velociraptor anticipated their thundering advance and jumped out of the way on time. Instead of the raptor's soft flesh and bones, the tyrannosaurs' powerful jaws sank into the hard exterior of the trailer, the metal screaming under pressure.

That was the moment Amber was waiting for; while the rexes were completely distracted, she seized the opportunity to leap upon Strongfang's exposed right flank and climb upon his immense back.

 _ **"Forgive me if this hurts."**_ she said apologetically as her talons had more than once broken the skin; if it weren't for the mind control helmet, the tyrannosaur would be roaring in pain. With the balance and fleetness of an acrobat, Amber raced half the length of Strongfang's forty-foot body until she was clinging onto the back of his neck. Before her determined gaze was the infernal device still attached to his skull. Without a moment's hesitation, the raptor clamped her jaws on the helmet, crushing it as effortless as if it were a tin can. That task completed, Amber wasted no time in leaping off of the towering behemoth below her who froze with a jolt, as if zapped by an electric current as he regained control of his senses, shaking his head.

But instead of landing on the muddy ground, the Velociraptor found herself being greeted by Thundera who welcomed her with open jaws!

With lightning fast reflexes, Amber wedged her clawed feet on the she-rex's maxilla and mandible and utilized her strong hind legs to prevent the tyrannosaur from clamping down on her. But the Velociraptor's resistance was short lived as the beast's powerful jaw muscles slowly overpowered her hold, closing shut with a _SNAP!_

As she sprang out of range, Amber shrieked in pain as Thundera's teeth slightly grazed her left foot, drawing blood. After landing on the roof of the trailer, the injured raptor inspected her foot. To her relief, the only damage done was just a scratch. It could have been much worse.

 _ **"Whoah!"**_ The young raptor yelped in surprise as the trailer suddenly began to shake and shudder as Thundera's seven-ton bulk collided against the front, jaws snapping furiously as she tried to reach the orange pest who kept well out of reach. Amber struggled to stand upright as the mechanically possessed T-rex continued her onslaught. And as the Velociraptor took a brief moment to look back, she noticed that the force of each impact caused the trailers to slide once again towards the edge of the cliff.

It was now or never. Time seemed to slow down as Amber catapulted herself on top of the she-rex's head. One bite pulverized the diabolical contraption to scrap metal.

After retreating a good distance from the female Tyrannosaurus who slowly regained her bearings, the young raptor's eyes scanned the cliffside warily for the male T-rex, only to find that the spot where he occupied was empty. She tilted her head questioningly.

 _ **"Where did the male go?"**_

Amber's answer came with a thundering roar, and without further warning, she felt a horrible pain clamp down on both her sides, earning an agonized cry from the Velociraptor, before being lifted nearly two stories off the ground. Even without the influence of Zach, the tyrannosaurs' hardwired instincts to defend their territory and to protect their offspring overrode any senses of gratitude, especially when this particular creature posed a serious threat to their young; where there was one of these deadly, fleet-footed predators, more would surely follow.

Seconds away from certain death, Amber instinctively reached out and sank her serrated teeth into Strongfang's sensitive nose, biting down with all her might. The bull Tyrannosaurus reeled back, releasing his hold on the raptor who was sent flying several yards before falling back to earth in a _THUD!_ her Creature Thought Translator falling out on impact.

Severely wounded, the young raptor laid helplessly on the ground, and despite all her efforts, she was powerless to move as the two Tyrannosaurus closed in. One careless step of a giant three-toed foot smashed Amber's translation device, causing her heart to sink. Before too long, the gigantic theropods towered over her meek form, their massive bodies blotting out the slashing rain, glassy yellow eyes glowing in the darkness. As she laid motionless, Amber took a fleeting glance to Chris and Martin who, along with the rest of the Wild Kratts team, had raised her for the past four years, nurtured her and accepted her for who and what she was. From her place on the muddy ground, the orange theropod warbled sadly; she had failed to protect them.

With a snort of resignation, the Velociraptor turned her head away, golden eyes firmly shut as she awaited those hellish jaws to seal her fate. Once they were done with her, the beasts would waste no time in finishing off the creature adventurers, still lying unconscious, completely under their mercy.

But the jagged fangs never came.

Somewhere in the darkness, a distinctive barking call was heard, causing Strongfang and Thundera to halt their advances. Then out of nowhere, a striped flash charged forward with a bloodcurdling shriek, wedging itself between the fallen raptor and her assailants. Hearing the familiar voice, Amber's eyes flew wide open to see Tiger Claw standing over her in all his glory, boldly facing off against the tyrannosaurs, flashing his serrated teeth and displaying his formidable claws.

The T-rexes roared defiantly, trying to frighten the impudent creature standing between them and their prey. Strongfang made a quick lunge forward with open jaws. The leader in stripes simply sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a bite that would have taken his head. As the male rex moved in for the attack, he roared in pain as two more Velociraptors made a surprise attack of their own, a dark brown theropod clinging onto the back of his neck, while his green companion bit deeply into the giant's left ankle. As Slasher and Makucha continued with their onslaught on Strongfang, all the while without getting caught, the she-rex found herself being held back by multitudes of snapping, snarling raptors.

While the rest of the pack held the Tyrannosaurus pair at bay, Malaika, Clawjumper, and the twins formed a protective ring around Martin and Chris who were slowly coming back to life. The white female even did her best to try and revive the two humans, gently nudging them with her snout and licking them. Her efforts were rewarded by their soft groans and a groggy mumbling from the Kratt in blue.

For all the tyrannosaurs' efforts, the smaller yet faster carnivores proved to be elusive, keeping well out of reach of their powerful jaws, literally running circles around the giants. Exhausted, severely outnumbered and injured, though none too serious for wear, the need to guard their young ultimately outweighed any desire to further engage the Velociraptor pack. As though by a silent signal, the two rexes turned tail and lumbered off back to the jungle, which seemed to swallow the seven-ton predators into its inky black depths.

But there was little time for celebration on the raptors' part; weakened by blood loss, Amber was slowly losing consciousness and it could only be a matter of time before the tyrannosaurs returned. Malaika and Clawjumper immediately rushed to the injured female's side, the latter tending to her wounds while the former looked imploringly to her brother. The look in her blue eyes were easily interpreted by Tiger Claw: they had to take Amber out of here or she will die. The leader in stripes hardly had the time to consider his sister's request when another raptor erupted out of the undergrowth, coming to a full stop before the pair. The scout cocked his head submissively to the alpha before chittering his alarming report; Man was coming. Very many of them.

The young leader growled; he was not taking any chances. He sounded an alarm to the rest of his pack; they would retreat. The pack did not need to be told twice as the vast majority had scampered off into the darkness of the forest without a sound.

Satisfied to see his pack falling back, the alpha turned his attention to a more serious matter at hand. With Slasher and Makucha's aid, Tiger Claw was able to hoist the unconscious Amber upon his strong back. With the wounded female now safely secured, the young leader was the last to leave the clearing, weighed down by his physical burden and his duties to make sure none were lagging behind.

Standing at the edge of the tree line, he took a moment to look back on the two humans who had become the unlikely allies to his pack, still unmindful of the pouring rain or the potential threats that nearly ended them. Malaika had assured him that they would awaken soon enough. Although he did not like their decision to aid the baby T-rex, at least their hearts were in the right place.

They did not have to worry about Amber. He and his pack will do everything in their power to take care of her.

And he disappeared into the jungle's black depths.

 _ ********_ _**I'm back! Sorry it took so long. Boy, action sequences are tough to write (especially martial arts..) but rewarding all the same! And as you've probably noticed, I've also taken a few liberties to make several changes to the storyline. I mean let's face it, Eddie did not deserve his fate so I let him live. Besides, he's got backup this time around. But don't think I'm going soft just because I**_ _**spared a guy's life. They're not out of the woods yet, their troubles have only just begun...**_


	11. Uneasy Alliance

Chris awoke with a jolt, started by a thunderclap, his brown eyes wide open. A quick look at his surroundings told him that he was at the campsite by the cliffside, or at least whatever was left of it. In a flash, it all came back to him: the trailers, the T-rex attack, Amber's intervention, and their crushing defeat at the hands of Thundera and Strongfang. After a quick evaluation of his body, the Kratt in green found no fractures, no broken bones, all of his limbs were intact. He was beaten and bruised, but very much alive.

But how?

A groaning at his side alerted him to Martin's presence, the second Kratt brother slowly regaining consciousness.

Chris turned to his older brother, shaking him by his shoulders. "Martin? Martin! Are you okay, bro?"

"Did anyone get the number of that bus?" came the groggy reply.

Chris rolled his eyes despite himself. He could tell from his brother's tone alone that he was right as rain. It wasn't long until Martin got his bearings, now fully conscious. After what felt like an eternity, it was the older Kratt who voiced out their thoughts. "We're– we're alive! But how?"

"My guess is as good as yours, bro." Chris replied, rubbing the back of his head as he got to his feet. "The last thing I remember was Strongfang throwing me around and shaking me like a rag doll before I ran into you,"

"Deja vu..." the Kratt in blue mumbled half to himself, having survived a Tyrannosaurus attack before. Chris extended a helping hand to which Martin accepted gratefully. Suddenly his blue eyes widened in the sudden realization that they weren't alone in the battle against their formidable assailants.

"Where's Amber?"

"I dunno. She must still be with–"

"Martin! Chris!" Both Kratt Brothers turned their heads in the direction the voice came from, followed by rustling among the undergrowth at the edge of the tree line until Sarah rushed towards them, wrapping her arms around them in a fierce bear hug. Ian, Nick and Eddie followed not far behind, the technician relying on the other two for support as he kept one leg well off the ground, wincing in pain every couple of steps.

"Guys! Oh, thank God you're both alright,"said the paleontologist.

"Where's Amber?"asked Martin. "She was with you guys, right?"

The redhead nodded. "But she left us once we were out of harm's way. She must have gone back for you guys. We were worried when she didn't return."

"Oh no," was all the Kratt in blue could say, his heart racing, eyes widened in dread as he pictured the worst case scenario. "She– she didn't!" Chris placed a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Martin made no sign that he acknowledged the younger Kratt's touch. Instead he cupped his hands to his mouth, and called out at the top of his lungs. "Amber! Amber! Amber where are you?"

His younger brother soon joined in lending his voice. "Amber! Where'd you go girl?"

But the rumbling thunderclaps and the pouring rain was their only answer.

"Hey guys! I found something," All eyes turned to Nick as the cameraman walked up to the creature adventurers with something held in his hands. The Kratt Brothers gasped sharply as they recognized what he held: the pulverized remains of Amber's Creature Thought Translator. It seemed that the young Velociraptor's loyalty and dedication had proved to be her undoing.

"Wait a minute. Isn't that–" Eddie never got to finish as the Kratt in blue interjected, "Amber's Creature Thought Translator!" Martin snatched the helmet from the photographer and held it close to his heart. He presently felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Martin."whispered Sarah, tears threatening to burst from her green eyes.

"She– she must have saved us."the Kratt in green murmured sadly. _At the cost of her own life, like I almost did_ , he thought but didn't dare to say aloud.

No one could be certain of how much time passed as Martin silently wept in Chris and Sarah's arms. He loved all of their creature friends, no one could deny that, but Amber held a special place in his heart; one could say that the older Kratt loved her like she was his own daughter.

"We'll never forget you, Amber." Martin finally said hoarsely, once the last of his tears had dried.

"We need get Eddie some medical attention! I think his leg might be broken!" stated Malcolm urgently.

"Broken is kind of an understatement."groaned the injured technician, sitting on a discarded crate. "I'm more amazed that my leg hasn't been bitten off."

The grief stricken Kratt Brothers made no sign that they acknowledged, or even heard the scientist's words.

Malcolm heaved a sigh. "We should go so that– that Amber's sacrifice won't be in vain. It's not your fault. What happened to Amber was nobody's fault. And I– I was wrong about her. I'm sorry. Truly I–I am."

Moved by the sincerity of his words, the creature adventurers exchanged glances before turning to the others, newfound determination etched into their features. Now was not the time for mourning. Actions must be done if they were to increase their chances of survival.

"You're right, Ian."said Chris as Martin looked up to the raging skies, not in the least mindful of the rain splashing against his face.

"Thanks, Amber."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend Ian?"asked Sarah lightheadedly, poking a hard finger on the mathematician's shoulder.

"Hang on. I'll call the Tortuga HQ to give us a lift."said Chris reassuringly as he reached out for his Creaturepod. But his smile vanished upon seeing the sorry state of his cellular device. "Oh no! My Creaturepod! It must've been damaged during the fight!"

"Hey, Martin. Have you got yours?"asked the injured technician.

"Nope."came the reply after Martin frantically searched his entire person. Even his boots. "It probably fell out when Strongfang threw me over the cliff."

Malcolm pinched the bridge of his nose. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"Oy vey."mumbled Eddie.

"Now we'll never be able to contact the gang!"the older Kratt lamented.

"So we're stuck here?!"exclaimed the cameraman, hands buried in his scalp in worry.

"Alright, Nick. Calm down. Now's not the time to panic."said the Kratt in green calmly, all while trying to ease his own nerves. "Eddie? You think you can repair the radio in the trailer?"

"Maybe, but it might take a while."the senior technician replied skeptically; truth be told, everything looked damaged beyond repair. Eddie tried to rise, but was forced to sit back down by a fresh wave of pain on his leg.

Chris was already starting to have second thoughts. "Yeah. On second thought, try not to strain yourself. Maybe it's better to just wait for the gang." To Martin, he asked, "Think we can chance moving him?"

Just then, the trumpeting bellow of a Tyrannosaurus rex sounded somewhere in the far distance, an ominous roar like a cry from some other world.

"Please chance it." Eddie squeaked, as he and everyone else glanced to the forest fearfully, half expecting one of the monstrous animals to charge out of the trees. "Nick? A little help here?"

Nick was quick to lend a helping hand, offering the wounded tech expert his shoulder. "We gotcha, buddy,"

"Don't worry, Nick. It won't be long until the rest of the Wild Kratts team comes back from their supply run in about a day or two."added the redheaded paleontologist, also assisting Eddie.

"She's right; they'll be back."Martin stated, leaning against the battered trailer. "So the best thing we can do is to find Kelly and Laura and to just lie low– _Whoah!"_ The last part came out in a startled yelp as the creature adventurer found himself suddenly lurching backwards, the trailer losing its foothold on the muddy ground before sliding backwards over the edge.

" _NOOOOO!"_ the rest of the castaways interjected.

"Oops."said the Kratt in blue sheepishly as they all helplessly watched the trailers tumbling and bumping down along the side of the cliff, ultimately landing on the jagged rocks hundreds of feet below.

 _BOOM!_ Without warning, the entire trailer was completely obliterated in a fiery explosion that briefly illuminated the entire cliffside.

Finally, it was silent, except for the sound of the surf.

"Can we start panicking now?"asked Nick as everyone else cast rueful glares at the older Kratt who smiled sheepishly.

The creature adventurer chuckled nervously. "Umm... sorry?"

Suddenly, from the edge of the jungle, a cris-cross of flashlight beams moved toward them. But rather than the three or four that would signify their own group, there were nearly twenty of them. The beams of light heralded the arrival of the InGen hunters. Peter Ludlow was in the lead, followed by Roland and Ajay. Laura was there too, shepherding Kelly.

Father and daughter immediately rushed to each other, wrapping in a tight embrace, each one more than happy that the other was safe and in one piece. Paternal concern washed over Malcolm as he asked, "Are you all right?! Anything broken?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I was scared, I thought you— are you okay?!"

"I'm fine... I'm fine..." Malcolm reassured his daughter, patting her back.

Meanwhile Roland surveyed the destruction.

"That's what you think."the outdoorsman said, half to himself.

 _ ****** Half An Hour Later...******_

The survivors of the two separate catastrophes were assembled at whatever remained of the hunters' camp, now combining their diminished supplies. Roland Tembo supervised the assembling of the resources displayed before him: there were half a dozen large plastic containers of water, thirty-seven containers of food, ranging from ziploc bags to aluminum tin, a variety of weapons, most of them borne on the hips or shoulders of the hunter team, too small to repel the attacks from larger predators. There were also the charred and scraggly remnants of several pieces of now-useless electrical equipment, a flare gun and several flares, somebody's tattered paperback copy of _Crime and Punishment_ , a box of Hershey bars, a carton of Marlboros, Gourmand's pots and cooking utensils, along with a spare dough blaster, bolas, and Sarah's lucky backpack.

Ludlow, Malcolm, Kelly, Nick, and the Kratt Brothers stood by the big game hunter, the latter of which, also contributed with their own essential supplies. The two paleontologists, Sarah and Dr. Burke, were consulting anxiously, heads nodding in agreement. Not far away, Laura and an InGen physician were treating Eddie's leg, broken by the powerful jaws of the male T-rex. But the tech expert was lucky to escape the ordeal with his life; not many creatures have ever confronted a Tyrannosaurus rex and survived.

"Our communication equipment's been destroyed."the outdoorsman began as more of his team had gathered. Turning to the opposite team, he continued, "If your radio and satellite phone were in those trailers that went off the cliff–"

"They were."confirmed Malcolm dryly.

"Then we're stuck here, ladies and gentlemen, and stuck _together_. Thanks to _you_ people!"

"Hey we came here to observe, you came to strip-mine the place!"answered Nick defensively. "Back off." This was directed at Dieter Stark who stared him down.

"Just like you meddling Wild Kratts, always sticking your noses into other people's business."rumbled Gourmand as he tapped a fat finger at Martin's chest, not at all liking the idea of being stranded on an island with his enemies.

"Well, seeing you doesn't do any good for us either." the Kratt in blue replied, equally displeased while Chris crossed his arms, a deep frown etched on his face.

"At least we came prepared, until you intentionally destroyed all our equipment."said Ludlow. "Trespassing, sabotage, assaulting InGen personnel–" here he glanced at Laura– "you could all go to jail just for being here, did you know that?"

"Hey, now don't start a legal argument with us,"snapped Sarah irritably, "this island isn't your property, and neither are these animals!"

"And for the record, we were sent here by John Hammond himself."said the Kratt in blue in an as-matter-of-factly tone.

"And what about the Bowmans?"asked Chris suspiciously, referring to the wealthy and ill-fated British family who stumbled here. "Shouldn't _they_ face legal charges for 'trespassing' on this island?"

The CEO of InGen had no immediate response, adding to the Kratt in green's suspicion. _Long pause, no answer._

"Five years of work and a hundred miles of electrified fence couldn't prepare the other island, did you actually think a couple dozen Marlboro men would make a difference here?" Ian criticized, gesturing to the company of ill-mannered knaves.

"It's a looter mentality."stated the photographer bluntly. "All you care about is what you can take. You have no right."

"An extinct animal that's brought back to life has no rights." The head of InGen countered. "It exists because we made it. We patented it. We own it."

"They are _not_ your property!"said Chris rather angrily. "They're not just numbers on a chart; they're living creatures."

"They have feelings, thoughts...and maybe even plans for the weekend."added Martin. This only earned mocking laughs from the hunters.

"They're just dumb animals!"

"They don't know nothin'!"

"You looking for a problem?"snarled Nick as Dieter once again invaded his personal space.

"I found _you_ , didn't I?"snarked the South African arrogantly.

That was the last straw for Nick who suddenly lunged at the hunter. Dieter retaliated and the two men pushed and shoved each other like maddened bulls. Fortunately the fight ended as quickly as it began as both parties were able to break them up.

"I know you."said the big game hunter, who took a good look at Nick. "You're that little Earth First bastard, aren't you?"

"Earth First. What's that?"one of the hunters asked.

"Everyone, keep your voices down!"warned the redheaded paleontologist. But her warning fell on deaf ears.

"They're professional saboteurs."answered Roland contemptuously, enraging Nick.

"We're environmentalists!"

" _Criminals."_

The heated argument was brought to a screeching halt by a certain African ranger who slammed her staff onto the hood of a demolished Jeep, loud enough to rival even the rolling thunderclaps. " _Enough!"_ Laura shouted, glaring daggers at the men. "This quarreling among ourselves will get us _nowhere!_ "

The entire camp fell into silence. Those closest to the blonde backed away a few paces.

"Oh shit," one of the hunters commented. "Note to self: don't piss the blonde chick off."said another.

"Please listen!"cried Chris urgently. "By moving the baby rex into our camp, we may have changed the adults'

perceived territory by accident!"

Sarah's eyes immediately widened in understanding. "Oh God.."

Most of the others were clueless. "Their what?"asked Ludlow.

"That's why they persisted in destroying the trailers," Dr. Burke answered. "They now feel they have to defend this entire area."

"We're not safe here."said Martin.

"We have to move. Right now." Sarah concluded.

"Move where?" Nick questioned. "Our boat, their airlift, the Tortuga HQ? They're all waiting for an order we have no way to send."

"Alright! Alright!" said Ludlow, trying to ease the ever growing tension. He pulled a file from his bag, filled with satellite photographs. "There's a communication center, here, in the operations building. It's the main structure in the old worker village. Hammond ran everything on geothermal power, it was never supposed to need replenishing. It should still work. If we can get there, we can send a radio call for the airlift."

"How far is this place?"asked the burly chef.

"It's not how far it is I'm worried about," Eddie sighed, hanging his head. "It's what's in between it and us."

"For once, I agree with you."said Malcolm.

"A day's walk, maybe more."the businessman answered before moving forward and grabbing a flask off the ground. "Mr. Carr is right. That's not the problem."

"What is?" Roland demanded. "What _is_ the problem?"

"Velociraptors."came the answer.

For a brief moment, silence reigned over the camp.

"Our infrareds show their nesting sites are concentrated in the island interior. That's why we planned on keeping to the outer rim."

"Hold on. Wait a minute, what's a Veloci–" before Dieter could finish, Burke replied, "Velociraptor. Carnivore. Pack hunter. About two meters tall, long snout, binocular vision, strong dexterous forearms, killing claws on both feet."

One of the hunters brandished his weapon, a Winchester Magnum rifle with a confident smirk. "I think we can handle ourselves against those beasts, just like we did that last pack."

"And just what's _that_ supposed to mean?"asked Nick darkly, promptly joined by two less than pleased creature adventurers.

"Take down the leader, and they'll scatter like cockroaches."came the halfhearted reply.

The Kratt Brothers were enraged to say the least. "You _what?!"_ exclaimed Martin, now practically grabbing the man by his shoulders. " _You_ killed the Master of the Hunt?"

"How could you?!"yelled Chris.

"What of it?" Dieter shrugged dismissively, pushing them away from the mercenary. "Bloodthirsty monsters, the lot of them."

"Those ' _monsters'_ were our friends!"thundered Martin.

"Oh cry me a river, Blue Berry!"rebuked the illegal chef. "They're nothin' but low down dirty varmints!"

"The only good raptor is a dead one!"shouted a mercenary somewhere among the throng, and the entire camp once again fell into discord.

"Quiet! All of you!" Tembo barked, and everyone immediately fell into silence.

"And the rexes may continue to track us too, if they perceive a threat to themselves or the infant."added Sarah, breaking the ever rising tensions.

Burke disagreed. "No, you're wrong there, Dr. Harding, they'll lose us once we're out of their territory."

"Don't bet on it. Tyrannosaurus has the largest proportional olfactory cavity of any creature in the fossil record except for one."

"Say what?"asked one hunter incredulously.

"It means they have a highly acute sense of smell."Chris translated with a chuckle.

"Right, the ah.. Turkey Vulture; could scent up to ten miles."said Burke, jogging his memory.

"Right."said the businessman, feigning interest. "This is all very thrilling, but I say we should push on to the village."

"We could, ah, head back down to the lagoon."suggested Ian.

"And do what?!"snapped the outdoorsman. "Sit out in the open! Next to a heavily used water source and hope that your Captain decides to come back for you?!"

"He won't do that; he knows better."added Nick.

"Or we could wait with Tiger Claw's pack for the Tortuga HQ to pick us up,"Kelly proposed.

Martin shook his head. "Sorry, Kelly. We can't."

"Why not?"

"If we stay here, the T-rexes would pick us off in the time it'll take for the gang to reach us."answered Chris. "And even the power of the pack is no match for _one_ T-rex, let alone a pair."

"And the last thing we want to do is to endanger them by bringing _these_ guys with us."mumbled Martin, not liking the idea of inviting a troop of trigger-happy wackos into the pack's territory, especially when they were directly responsible for Bwana's death.

"Tiger Claw?"asked Ajay.

"We'll explain later." Laura dismissed.

"Right. Then we head for the village!"declared Tembo, already taking the lead. Ajay followed by his side. "We might find some shelter and we can call for help. Rex just fed, so he won't stalk us for food."

"'Just fed?' I assume you're talking about Amber. You might wanna show a little respect, she gave her life to save ours,"thundered Malcolm defensively, much to the surprise of his team.

Roland was quick to cut him off however, "Then her troubles are over. My point is that predators don't hunt when they're not hungry." With that he turned away, wasting no time in leading the expedition.

" _No! Only humans do!_ "exclaimed Nick somewhere amongst the crowd.

The Great White hunter was not amused. "Oh you're breaking our hearts! Saddle up! Let's get this movable feast underway!"

Leaving the rundown campsite behind, the survivors set forth, marching through the jungle in a column, traveling south in the direction of the operations building. Two hunters led the congregation, small servo-flashlights mounted on their shoulders. Wires ran from the lights and end in sensor pads which they stuck on the skin of their necks, allowing light to illuminate in whatever direction they turned their heads. With the rainy season in full swing, the traveling party was drenched by torrential downpours, but still they trudged on towards their destination, and with it, the promise of survival.

"Excuse me, cowboy!" Nick made his way through the procession of mercenaries until he fell into stride beside Roland who was in the lead. The Great White hunter took notice of him and rolled his eyes. "You want some gum?"he asked, offering a packet of gum to which Roland declined. "You're a lot smarter than that empty suit you're working for. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Somewhere on this island, there exists the greatest predator that ever lived. Second greatest predator must take him down."came the answer.

"Or what? It'll take over the government?"

Roland didn't bother to answer, or even look at him. Nick looked over at the hunter's gun, still slung over his shoulder.

"You plan on using that?"he asked.

"If you don't shut up."the outdoorsman remarked, mildly annoyed.

"I meant on the T-rex."the photographer corrected with a chuckle, before reaching out for Roland's Nitro Express. "May I see?"

"Take that hand away."the outdoorsman warned calmly, not even looking.

Nick yanked his hand back before marched on in silence.

"The animal exists on the planet for the first time in tens of millions of years, and the only way you can express yourself is to kill it?"

"Remember that chap, about twenty years ago, I forgot his name. Climbed Everest without any oxygen, came down nearly dead. And they asked him, 'Why did you go up there to die?'And he said, 'I didn't. I went up there to live.'"

"Yeah. The difference is the mountain didn't have to die."

Close by, Laura mumbled something in her second language, drawing attention from both the hunter and the photographer.

"Wait, what was that?"asked a confused Nick.

"Just an old proverb. 'Until lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.'"the ranger answered before moving ahead. Nick raised a puzzled eyebrow while Roland said nothing, possibly meditating on what he had heard.

Elsewhere among the traveling throng, Malcolm was marching alongside Ludlow, one arm wrapped around Kelly. The Kratt Brothers tagged along as well; A few InGen hunters were kind enough to offer carrying the injured technician with a medical stretcher, leaving the two unburdened as Roland had appointed them as part of the scouting team.

"Say, I haven't had a chance to wish you luck with your new business venture. You're off to a very promising start."said the mathematician, feigning cheerfulness.

"My team is intact, Doctor. I'm sorry for the loss of your man... err raptor."the head of InGen replied almost indifferently. "It's very easy to criticize someone who generates an idea. Someone who takes all the risks, who puts everything out on the–"

Malcolm cut him off, "You know, excuse me for interrupting, but every time you try to sound like Hammond, it just comes off like a hustle, doesn't it? It's not your fault, they say talent skips a generation. I'm sure your kids'll be sharp as tacks." The two creature adventurers chuckled.

"Hammond's reach exceeded his grasp." Ludlow countered, inwardly fuming. "Mine does not."

"And another thing."said Chris, joining the conversation. "With all due respect, Mr. Ludlow, we don't think you quite understand what you're getting yourself into with this."

"What do you mean?"

"For most zoos, care and feeding for one elephant would cost over $70,000 annually."the younger Kratt explained.

"Times that by several more for a herd of elephants, since elephants are sociable animals."added Martin.

"And you wonder why I never got you a pet elephant when you were younger."whispered Malcolm to his daughter's ear. Kelly silently giggled

Chris wasn't finished. "And that's not even the half of it; the minimum requirements of an elephant enclosure should be 1,800 square feet per elephant. That way there's enough space for animals to get away from each other whenever they need their space and to get just the right amount of exercise."

"In the wild, elephants can travel forty miles in a single day–" Martin commented.

"Your point?"asked the capitalist, raising an eyebrow.

"Now imagine a sauropod dinosaur–"said Chris before Martin interjected: "That's the longneck variety."

"Right. Now we're talking about animals that weigh as much as an entire _herd_ of elephants and require more food and space."

The businessman chuckled. "You're exaggerating."

"Oh no, we're _sugarcoating_ it."the older Kratt retorted. "Any normal zoo would go bankrupt trying to take care of just _one_ multi ton vegetarian, let alone a herd."

"And let's not get us started on the predators!"said Chris. "Not only do they need a steady amount of food, but also wide open spaces to roam around. The bigger the carnivore, the more space is required.

"And then there's intelligent species like Velociraptors,"

"And Troodons," Martin interjected.

"Right. Those dinosaurs also need lots of intellectual and social stimulation."

"Otherwise,"added the Kratt in blue, "they'll grow bored. And when they get bored, they become too dangerous to handle. And we wouldn't want another Jurassic Park incident now, would we?"

A long pause. "I understand what you're saying, and your comments are valuable," Ludlow finally said, "but I assure you that once we're through, animal husbandry will be the very least of InGen's problems."

"Jesus Christ."muttered Malcolm half to himself.

"And you've made partners with Donita, Zach, and Gourmand?"questioned the Kratt in blue, casting a quick glance at the burly chef who traveled in the rear. "No offense, but they're not what you would call creature friendly."

"I'm well aware that there's no love lost between you. Running a successful business sometimes requires... unsavory partnerships, shall we say?"

Hearing these words, Chris could hardly suppress a scowl as he said rather seriously: "Word of advice: stay away from them."

His older brother shared his sentiments. "They're bad news."

Ludlow wasn't swayed but politely replied, "Thank you very much, brothers Kratt. InGen will uhh.. take it under advisement _._ "

"Taking dinosaurs off this island is the worst idea in the long, sad history of bad ideas."Ian stated with the bluntness of a hammer. "And we're gonna be there when you learn that."

The match continued well into the break of dawn,the sun rising ever higher as they left the relative safety of the jungle behind and reached more open country, where the grassy plains stretched as far as the eye can see, occasionally dotted with rocky outcrops and a few scattered trees. With the change in landscape and the absence of trees, Chris took to the sky to scout ahead, courtesy of his Peregrine Falcon form, while Martin, Gourmand and a couple of InGen mercenaries guarded the rear, eyes darting from left to right, ever watchful for potential dangers on the ground. Ahead of the scouts, the Great White hunter took the lead, with Ajay and Ludlow at his side, holding a rifle and a map respectively.

"Clear!"screeched the green avian every so often, swooping over the hikers' heads, This went on for an hour or so as they passed until Chris was circling above them, signaling the party to halt. The signal for approaching danger.

Dropping altitude, he landed gracefully before deactivating his CPS to join the others who were waiting expectantly for the news.

"Mr. Kratt. What is the matter at hand?" Roland demanded.

"We need to move fast. There's a large herd of Dryo–" Chris had hardly started his report when a cloud of dust was sighted over the oncoming hill. What followed was a squawking, shrieking pandemonium as a herd of small, bipedal dinosaurs sprinted past the incredulous travelers. The herd was made up of more than forty animals, several more than ten-feet long, none of them paying any heed to the strange, two legged creatures in their path. The traveling party wisely took cover behind a large rocky outcrop to avoid the stampeding throng.

"Dryosaurus. Late Jurassic."Burke observed, identifying the fleet footed runners that possessed the grace and agility comparable to gazelles. "They're herbivorous."

"Where are they going?"asked someone among the crowd.

"Buggers are fast,"

"Look at 'em go!"

Something about the Dryosaurs' retreat caused the research team to be on edge. "I know that flight pattern,"mumbled Martin half to himself, noticing that some of the animals ran in a uniformed pattern, never running in a straight line. Addressing the entire company , he said aloud, "They're trying to get away from something."

"From what?"asked Nick warily.

Malcolm breathed a sigh. "Something tells me we're about to find out,"

As if in answer to the mathematician's halfhearted remark, a bloodcurdling roar echoed from over the rise, causing the entire group to jolt... before a large shape raced down the hill in the path taken by the Dryosaurus.

The beast was easily over thirty feet in length and carried its two-ton bulk on two powerful hind legs. Along the animal's back were rows of bony scutes and osteoderms that ran from head to tail, giving it the appearance of an armored dragon. The creature's arms were little more than two stubs, but its most defining feature was the pair of horns crowning the rather shortened, bulldoglike skull, jaws lined with sharp teeth.

"Boy, do I hate being right all the time," the mathematician remarked dryly.

Upon a silent command from Roland, the humans sank further into cover the better to avoid detection; even those untrained in the paleontological field could instantly tell that this was a predator.

With surprising speed for its bulk, the horned predator managed to overtake a straggling individual from the herd, slamming its grotesque skull into its prey's left flank like a battering ram. The unfortunate Dryosaurus was sent flying on impact, crashing against the boulders with a sickening _thud!_

The collision had killed it.

The travelers could soon hear the crunching of bones and the tearing of flesh coming directly from the other side of their hiding place. Soon the metallic smell of blood was carried by the wind and it was all that the hidden humans could do to keep from getting sick, their stomachs tied in knots.

Despite the whispered protests of her colleagues, the redheaded paleontologist dared to take a quick glance from behind the rock. She didn't like what she saw. "Carnotaurus!" Sarah whispered in horror. "Get down!"

"Carno–what?!"asked Gourmand cluelessly.

"Carnotaurus!"exclaimed the Kratt in blue quietly, as not to rile the brute's attention. "A mouthful of teeth with a bad attitude!"

"I take it that they're dangerous?" Dieter inquired. All the wrangler really knew was that these creatures were not captured during yesterday's roundup.

Chris nodded. "Extremely."

"They can't be _that_ bad. Not with _those_ arms," Gourmand scoffed, unimpressed by the Carnotaur's useless appendages. "And I thought _T-rexes_ had feeble arm strength."

"Don't let those vestigial arms fool you," Sarah warned, "Carnotaurs are unpredictable, highly aggressive, and they're among the fastest carnivores out here! More than forty miles per hour max. Only raptors are faster."

"But that's not the worst part!" Chris quickly added.

"It's not?"asked Eddie, not liking this one bit. "Then what is?!"

"Carnotaurs usually hunt in–" a hellish bellow cut off Martin's sentence. He looked back at the Carnotaurus, then wished he hadn't. The beast was soon joined by six or seven more of his kind, all coming to claim their share of the prize. "Groups."

"Fruitcakes." Malcolm cursed. It seemed as though the odds were stacked against them.

"How are we gonna get past those demon lizards?" a nearby mercenary asked.

Slowly, quietly and with extreme caution, the Kratt Brothers and the Great White hunter peeked over from behind the boulder. To their relief, the pack of horned flesh eaters were too busy fighting for the Dryosaurus carcass to even take notice of their presence.

The trio went back into hiding.

"They seem to be preoccupied with feeding." the Great White hunter observed. "While they're still feasting, the beasts should leave us alone."

"But not for long."said Chris, noticing that the feast was quickly disappearing under the Carnotaurs' voracious appetites. The Dryosaurus was too small to make much of a meal; all were receiving mouthfuls but none were satisfied.

"Maybe we can sneak right past them without being noticed."whispered the Kratt in blue.

Roland nodded in agreement as he wasted no time in rallying his charge. "Come. There's no time to lose."

Under a silent hand signal from the leader, the very nervous traveling party fell into line without question, moving along the waist high grass quickly yet quietly to avoid detection. Sarah lingered for a little while to observe the Carnotaurus pack through her binoculars when she noticed that the carnivores were becoming more quarrelsome.

Two of the Carnotaurs, the lead bull and a smaller juvenile, a younger male, fought for possession of the meager remains of the Dryosaurus carcass in a vicious tug of war. In the contest of strength, the alpha easily prevailed over his younger opponent, yanking the prize out of his grasp. But before the victor could relish in the raw taste of victory, the younger carnivore rammed his head into the leader's chest, forcing him to relinquish his hold on the carcass. Infuriated, the older Carnotaurus quickly turned on his attacker with open jaws on the insubordinate's neck. The young dinosaur struggled in his alpha's grip until he was able to break free of his assailant's hold, suffering only a few minor injuries thanks to his bony armor. Back to square one, the two horned dinosaurs began to butt heads, pushing and shoving with all their might. For a while, both Carnotaurus seemed to be evenly matched in strength and tenacity, until the older male, a veteran in the combat zone, placed a quick bite to the juvenile's left shoulder before ramming his enemy's chest with the force of an oncoming automobile, sending the challenger crashing and tumbling to the ground.

Having had enough, the defeated animal slunk away from the fringes of the pack to nurse his wounded pride, leaving the alpha male to make off with the spoils of his victory. Upon noticing that she was starting to fall dangerously behind, Sarah made her way back to the others when suddenly, the paleontologist noticed that the young Carnotaurus froze, raising its head to sniff the air, perhaps catching scent of something in the wind. The theropod's head moved slowly until its gaze fell upon the retreating humans. The dinosaur's gaze never left as he slowly advanced towards them like a lion stalking its prey. The paleontologist's eyes widened in horrifying realization:

 _The Carnotaur had picked up their scent!_

A series of hellish shrieks resounded across the plains as the Carnotaurus came charging straight towards them with open jaws. But that wasn't all; the rest of the pack was very much in evidence. Alerted by the roars of their comrade, they were quick to join the hunt, quickly closing in on the group of awkward, two-legged creatures they now saw as potential prey!

Alerted by the noise, the survivors quickly took notice in the Carnotaur's sudden change in behavior.

" _Those Carno-monsters are coming!_ "a hunter shouted.

"Oh no!"cried Chris, hands at his scalp. This was beyond bad.

"Plan B: _Run!"_ exclaimed Martin.

 _ ****** Enter: Carnotaurus. As many of you know, these guys made an appearance in Michael Crichton's The Lost World and later in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. And while I was excited to see this guy finally appear in the JP franchise, I thought he could be more properly introduced (let's face it, every time Carno appeared on screen, Wrecksy's hogging all the spotlight..)**_

 _ **And based on what we now know about Carnotaurus, these guys won't have the camouflage abilities of their counterparts in the novel. Besides, who needs stealth when you have great speed?**_

 _ **And speaking of Jurassic World, it's unlikely that I'll write a JW/WK fanfic. A twenty plus year span from JP is a**_ _ **really**_ _**long time, and Wrecksy won't be the only one who will be old and gray...:P but I'll keep an open mind..**_

 _ **I also want to give a special thanks to Omar Garcia Jr for giving away my secret identity. *gives pointed look* Yes, me and Loxodonta14 are one and the same, potato potahto. *in British accent* Fanfiction was just a showroom, something for the tourists. Site B was the factory floor, that was on Wattpad.**_

 _ **And thank you amarastra5814 for your words of encouragement. And know that I have every intention of continuing this story, and others, no matter how long it may take..;)**_


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